Tentative 
Mine Safety Rules 


Prepared by a 

Committee of Mining Men 

at the request of the 

Industrial Accident Commission 

of the 

State of California 


For the Criticisms or Suggestions of Employers, 
Employees and Others Interested 


Due notice will be given of Public Hearings to be held for the 
consideration of these Tentative Mine Safety Rules 


California 

State Printing Office 

19 15 



















V 






# 


COMMITTEE ON MINE SAFETY RULES. 

Representing California Metal Produeers' Assoeiation: 

A. 1*. Anderson. Pacific Coast manager, United States Smelting, Refining 
and Mining Company. 

(G. W. Metcalfe, manager Mammoth Copper Company, alternate to INIr. 
Anderson.) 

N. S. Kelsey, manager Argonaut Mining Company. 

Arthur B. P^oote. superintendent The North Star Mines. 

Representing Mine Employees: 

James Giamuruno, secretary Amador County Miners* Union No. loo. 

J. C. Williams, secretary (Jrass \'allev Miners' Union No. THh 
A. M. Arandall, secretary Randshurg Miners* Union No. 44. 

Representing Industrial Aeeidcnt Commission : 

II. ^Nf. WoLFiTN, mining engineer. United States Bureau of Mines. 


INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT COMMISSION 
OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA 

525 Market Street, San Francisco 

819 Hollingsworth Building, Los Angeles 



A. J. PILLSBUUY, 

WILL J. FRENCH, 

HARRIS WEINSTOCK, 

Coinmis.sioners. 




Note.— In the pieparation of these Safety Rules use was made of the galley proof 
of U. S. Bureau of Mines Bulletin 7.5, acknowledgement of which is hereby made. 


b. Of D. 
MAY 3 .5 



CONTENTS. 



7 

c 


Sec, 

l*o\vers of Iiuliistrial Aooidont Coininissioii. 

Method of Drnftinji' Kules. 

I— Definitions. 

-—Ivei)orts of Inspector. 

—Designation for S('rvice of Notice's. 

4—(’are of the Injured. 

'*>—Artificial Hreathinij: Apparatus. 

<5—Mine Maps. 

7— Danserons Mines. 

8— Fatal Accidents, 

‘d—Women and Children in Mines. 

It)—Superintendent to be Appointed. 

II— Mine Foreman to he Appointed. 

12— Foremen’s Duties. 

13— Intoxicatin.5>: Liquor Prohibited in Mines. 

14— Ueport of I’ersonal Accidents. 
ir»—(leneral Safety Precautions. 

1(>.—Miscellaneous liules for Underground Men. 

17—P’encing Abandoned Shafts. 

15— Cuard Kails. 

10—Boiler Inspection. 

20— Sanitation—Drj' Closets, Drinking Water, Change Houseii, otc. 

21— Providing for Mine Exits. 

22— 4’wo Openings to Surface. 

28—Openings Through Other Mines. 

24—Provisions .VITecting Mines having only One Outlet. 

27)—Outlets not to he Covered by Houses. 

20—Ventilation. 

27— Safety Pillars. 

28— Koof Inspection. 

20—Clearing of Manways. 

80— Fire Inspection. 

81— Timbering. 

82— Winzes or Raises. 

88—Shaft Protection. 

.‘>4—IMaces of Refuge. 

87)—Protection Against Water. 

80—Sumps. 

87— Stopes. 

88— M'hims. 

.80—^^Crossheads. 


2— 



4 


CONTENTS. 


Sec. 

40— Liulderways and Ladders. 

41— lOliinination of Rock Dust. 

42— Tjiffliting and Candles. 

43— Inllannnable Material. 

44— Kegulations Provided foi‘ Control of Ex])losives 

45— Storage and Use of Explosives. 

40—Fuses. 

47— Blasting. 

48— Hoisting. 

45)—Hoisting Engineer. 

50— Duties of Hoisting Engineer. 

51— Safeguards Against Overwinding. 

52— Hoisting Ropes. 

53— Cages for Hoisting Men, 

54— --Oiling Cage Safety Catches, etc. 

55— Hoisting While Sinking Shaft. 

50—Deepening Shaft—Protection. 

57— Telephone System in Mines. 

58— Signals. 

55)—California Mine Bell Signals. 

00—Special Signal Boards. 

01—Electrical Rules—Definitions. 

02—Care of Equipment and Practices, 

(>.3—G rou nd i ng, 

04—Switchboards. 

<1.5—4''ransinission IJnes and Cables. 

00—Fus('s, Circuit Breakers, and Swilclu's. 

07—Stationary Motors, 

08—Electric Lighting. 



INDEX 


Accidents, fatal _ 

Artificial breathing apparatus_ 

Blasting ____ 

Boiler inspection _ 

Cages for hoisting men_ 

California mine bell signals_ 

Care of electrical equipment and practices_ 

Care of the injured___ 

Cleaning of manways_ 

Crossheads _ 

Dangerous mines_ 

Deepening shaft—protection_ 

Definitions _ a_ 

Designation for service of notices_ 

Dust, elimination of_ 

Duties of hoisting engineer__ 

Electric lighting _ 

Electrical rules—definitions_ 

Elimination of rock dust_ 

Exits _ 

Explosives _ 

Fencing abandoned shafts_ 

Fire inspection_ 

First aid _ 

Foremen’s duties_ 

Fuses for blasting_ 

Fuses (electrical), circuit breakers and switches 

General safety precautions- 

Grounding electrical circuits_ 

Guard rails_ 

Hoisting _ 

Hoisting engineer _ 

Hoisting ropes_ 

Hoisting while sinking shaft_ 

Inflammable material_ 

Intoxicating liquor prohibited in mines_ 

Ladderways and ladders_ 

Lighting and candles_ 

Mine bell signals_ 

Mine foreman to be appointed_ 

Mine maps _ 

Miscellaneous rules for underground men_ 

Oiling cage safety catches, etc_ 

Openings through other mines- 

Outlets not to be covered by inflammable houses.. 

Overwinding - 

Places of refuge- 

Protection against water- 

Providing for mine exits- 

Provisions affecting mines having only one outlet. 

Regulations provided for control of explosives_ 

Reports of inspector- 

Report of personal accidents_ 

Roof inspection - 

Rules for underground men- 

Safeguards against overwinding- 

Safety pillars- 

Safety catches required on cages- 


Section. 

Page. 

S 

17 

5 

15 

47 

48 

19 

25 

- 53 

54 

59 

57 

62 

61 

4 

14 

29 

32 

39 

36 


16 

56 

5K 

1 

10 

3 

13 

41 

37 

50 

51 

68 

68 

61 

60 

41 

3 1 

22-24 

28 

44-45 

40 

17 

24 

1 

o 

32 

4 

14 

12 

19 

46 

47 

66 

67 

15 

21 

63 

61 

18 

25 

48 

49 

49 

51 

52 

53 

55 

56 

43 

3S 

13 

20 

40 

36 

42 

S8 


57 

11 

19 

6 

16 

16 


54 

56 

. 23 

29 

25 

30 

51 

53 

34 

34 

35 

35 

21 

27 

24 

30 

44 

40 

2 

12 

14 

21 

28 

31 

16 

OO 

51 

53 

27 

31 


54 




























































INDEX. 


. T) 


Sanitation—dry closets, drinking’ water, (.tluinge houses, etc. 

Shaft protection___ 

Signals _____ 

Special signal boards- 

Stationary motors_:-- 

Stopes___ 

Storage and use of explosives_ 

Sumps _ 

Superintendent to be appointed_ 

Switchboards, electrical_____ 

Telephone system in mines_^_ 

Timbering __ 

Transmission lines and cables_..._ 

Two openings to surface_ 

Ventilation __ 

Whims _;_ 

Winzes and raises____._ 

Women and children in mines_ 


20 

33 

58 

60 

67 

37 
45 
36 
10 

64 
57 

31 

65 
22 
26 

38 

32 
9 


26 

33 

57 

59 

68 

35 

45 

35 

18 

63 
56 

32 

64 
2 8 
31 
35 

33 
IS 




















SUMMARY OF THE SAFETY PROVISIONS 

OF THE 

WORKMEN’S COMPENSATION, INSURANCE AND SAFETY ACT. 

Sections 51 to 72, inclusive, of the Workmen’s Compensation, Insur¬ 
ance and Safety Act give the Industrial Accident Commission power 
to make and enforce safety orders, rules, and regulations, to prescribe 
safety devices, to fix safety standards, and to order the reporting of 
accidents. 

The phrase “place of employment” is defined in such a way that 
mining operations are included within the provisions of the act. It is 
stated that the terms “safe” and “safety” as applied to an employ¬ 
ment or a place of employment shall mean such freedom from danger 
to the life or safety of employees as the nature of the employment will 
reasonably permit, and that the terms “safety device” and “safeguard” 
shall be given a broad interpretation so as to include any practicable 
method of mitigating or preventing a specific danger. 

The Commission has power, after a hearing had upon its own motion 
or upon complaint, by general or special orders, rules or regulations, 
or otherwise “to fix such reasonable standards and to prescribe, modify, 
and enforce such rea.sonable orders for the adoption, installation, use, 
maintenance and operation of safety devices, safeguards and other 
means or methods of protection, to be as nearly uniform as possible, 
as may be necessary to carry out all laws and lawful orders relative 
to the protection of the life and safety of employees in employments 
and places of employment.” 

TO CALIFORNIA MINE OPERATORS AND EMPLOYEES: 

In order to secure reasonable inine safety rules, which the Industrial 
Accident Commission has authority to make and enforce, a committee 
of three mine operators and three practical miners was appointed to 
meet with the mining engineer of the Commission to formulate the 
l)roposed rules. The mine employees were unable to attend the meet¬ 
ings of the committee so that most of the work was done by the three 
operators appointed from the California Metal Producers’ Association, 
and by the mining engineer of the Commission. The employees made 
a few suggestions by mail. 

It is hoped that this ])rocedure will result in reasonable and prac¬ 
ticable rules made by mining men with due regard to conditions under 
which mines have to be operated. 'It is recpiested that you read the 
rules carefully and make such suggestions as you deem necessary, at 


8 


TENTATIVE MINE SAFETY RULES. 


the same time bearing in mind that the rules have been discussed and 
nnanimOnsly agreed to by the committee of three mine operators from 
the California ]\Ietal Producers’ Association, who will have to work 
under their provisions. 

Your attention is particularly directed to the paragraph headed 
‘‘Application,” under section 1 of the rules. It is thought that this 
paragraph will make the rules much more flexible and practicable than 
would be possible with any mining laws. 

Please do not confuse these rules with proposed laws or bills to be 
introduced into the legislature. The Industrial Accident Commission 
has authority to approve safety rules and make them permanent after 
holding a public hearing. If you have objections to the rules, it is 
requested that you make them by letter to the Commission as soon as 
possible. To receive serious consideration, objections must be accom¬ 
panied by reasons and constructive suggestions, and must refer to 
separate sections of the rules. 

Section 1. 

Definitions. 

Application .—These rules shall apply to all mines operated 
in the State of California, provided that in c£Lses where in 
the opinion of the chief mine inspector the enforcement of 
any rule would not materially increase the safety of employees, 
and would work an undue hardship on the operator, exemp¬ 
tions may be made, at the discretion of said inspector, but such 
exemptions must be in writing to be effective, and can be 
revoked after reasonable notice is given in writing. 

Singular and plural numbers .—For the purposes of these 
rules, the singular number when used in reference to persons, 
acts, objects, and things of whatsoever kind and description 
shall, whenever the context will permit, be taken and held to 
import and include the plural number, and the plural number 
shall similarly be taken and held to import and include the 
singular. 

Mine .—The term “mine” when used in these rules shall 
include prospect openings, pits, banks, and open-cut workings, 
and shall embrace any and all parts of the property of such 
“mine” and mining plant, on the surface or underground, 
that contribute directly or indirectly to the mining or handling 
of minerals; provided, that when a group of workings in 
proximity to one another and under one management are 
administered as distinct units, each working shall be consid- 


INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT COMMISSION. 


9 


01 * 0(1 a separate mine; provided, further, that the rules shall 
not apply to the operation of gold dredges, hydraulic mining 
operations, or surface placer mining, except where the rules 
specifically provide for the inclusion of these classes of mining 
in their provisions. 

Mineral. —The term ‘‘minerar’ when used in these rules 
shall mean whatever is recognized by the standard authorities 
as mineral, whether metalliferous or non-metalliferous, but 
shall not be held to embrace or include coal, lignite, gas, oil, or 
any substances when extracted in solution through bore holes. 

Operator .—The term ‘‘operator” when used in these rules 
shall mean the person, firm, or body corporate in immediate 
possession of any mine and its accessories as owner or lessee 
thereof, and as such responsible for the condition and manage¬ 
ment thereof. 

Superintendent. —The term “superintendent” when used in 
these rules shall mean the person having the immediate super¬ 
vision of the mine. 

Mine foreman. —The term “mine foreman” when used in 
these rules shall mean a person who at any one time is charged 
with the general direction of the underground work. 

Chief inspector. —The term “chief inspector” when used 
in these rules shall signify the mining engineer employed by 
the California Industrial Accident Commission to have charge 
of the mine safety work. 

Deputy inspector .—The terms “deputy,” “deputy inspec¬ 
tor,” “assistant inspector” shall mean one of the deputies or 
assistant mine inspectors of the California Industrial Accident 
Commission. 

Excavations or workings .—The words “excavations” and 
“workings” when used in these rules shall signify any or all 
parts of a mine excavated or being excavated, including shafts, 
tunnels, entries, galleries, open cuts, and all working places, 
whether abandoned or in use. 

Number of men. —Whenever the expressions “number of 
men” or “average number of men” employed in a mine are 
used in these rules as defining or constituting classes of mines 
to which these rules, or any specific section, clause, or provi¬ 
sion thereof, does or does not apply, such expressions shall be 
construed to mean the average number of men employed 
during the previous calendar month, as shown by the returns 


10 


TENTATIVK MINE SAFETY RULES. 


to the chief inspector or by the hooks or pay roll of the mine, 
or by all of such means, and such average number shall be 
determined by dividing the total number of man shifts by the 
number of days the mine was worked during such period. 

Explosive .—The term ‘"explosive” or “explosives” as used 
in these rules shall be held to mean and to include any chem¬ 
ical compound or any mechanical mixture that contains any 
oxidizing and combustible units or other ingredients in such 
proportions, (piantities, or packing that an ignition by fire, by 
friction, by concussion, by percussion, or by detonator of any 
part of the compound or mixture may cause such a sudden 
generation of highly heated gases that the resultant gaseous 
pressures are capable of producing destructive effects on con¬ 
tiguous objects or of destroying life and limb. 

Person .—The term “person” when used in these rules shall 
l)e held to mean and include a firm or body corporate as well 
as natural persons. 

Under ground .—The term “underground” as used in these 
rules shall be held to mean “within the limits of” any mine 
working or excavation and shall not exclude such workings 
or excavations as may not be covered over by rock or earth. 

Employees .—The terms “employees” and “men employed” 
shall be held to mean all men receiving compensation from 
the operator, directly, or indirectly, for labor or services per¬ 
formed in connection with the mine and shall include con¬ 
tractors, leasers, lessees, tributers, or any one else similarly 
employed. 


Section 2. 


Accidents 
and safety 
conditions to 
be reported 
yearly. 


Reports to Inspector. 

(a) It is hereby made the duty of the operator of each and 
every mine within the state, coming within the provisions of 
these rules, to forward to the chief inspector at his office not 
later than the 20th day of January of each year, a detailed 
report in writing on a form prescribed by the inspector, show¬ 
ing the character of the mine, tonnage of product during the 
previous year ended December 31st, the average number of 
men therein employed during the year, number of days the 
mine was worked, the number and nature of fatal and all 
other accidents during the year, and such other information 
relative to the workings, efiuipment, ventilation, sanitation, 
means of ingress and egress, shafts, supports, safety devices, 
storage of explosives, and means taken to protect lives and 


INDUSTRIAL ACCJDKNT COMMISSION. 


11 


insure safety of men in relation to any of the requirements of 
these rules as the chief inspector may from time to time 
re(]uire. All such reports shall be filed in and become part 
of the records of the office of the California Industrial Acci¬ 
dent Commission. Blank forms for such reports shall be fur¬ 
nished by the Commission; provided, Jtoivever, that in the case 
of any mine being operated for less than one year prior to 
December 31st in any year, the operator in such event shall 
forward a report, in like manner, covering the period during 
which said mine was operated; and py^ovided, further, that in 
the event of the sale or lease of any mine during any year 
prior to December 31st, then and in that event it shall be the 
duty of the owner or operator so selling, leasing, or turning 
over such mine to a succeeding operator to supply to such 
succeeding operator a like report, as required in this section, 
covering the period of such former operations within said 
year; and it shall then and in that event become the duty of 
such succeeding operator to forward such report so turned 
over, together with said succeeding operator’s report, for the 
})eriod of said succeeding operator’s operations, to the inspec¬ 
tor of mines as aforesaid not later than the 20th day of 
January in each year. 

{h) In all cases, occurring in or about any mine, of fires, 
threatening or causing injury to men or mine workings, ap¬ 
pearance of dangerous gas, breakage of ropes or other gear 
by which men are hoisted or lowered, overwinding while men 
are being hoisted, unexpected serious inrush of water, threat¬ 
ened crushing of mine workings, or any other accident, occur¬ 
rence, or change of conditions tending materially to increase 
the hazards of mining, whether or not personal injury results, 
a report thereof, signed by the operator or superintendent, 
shall immediately be sent in writing to the chief inspector. 

Section 3. 

Designation for Service of Notices. 

(a) Every operator of any mine within the provisions of 
these rules shall, within sixty days after the approval of the 
rules by the Commission, file or cause to be filed in the office 
of the mining engineer of the Commission a designation, duly 
verified by such operator, appointing a person on whom all 
notices, warnings, or processes required to be served under 
the provisions of these rules may be served, and giving the 
office, place of employment, or place of business of such person. 


Reports 
from mines 
operated 
less than 
a year. 


Reports, 
how made 
when mine 
changes 
manage¬ 
ment. 


Dangerous 
conditions 
to be imme¬ 
diately re¬ 
ported to 
chief inspec¬ 
tor by mine 
operator. 


Operator to 
appoint 
person on 
whom no¬ 
tices may 
be served. 


3—16334 


12 


TENTATIVE MINE SAFETY EULES. 


Place of 
residence of 
such person. 


Designation 
to continue 
in force 
until 
revoked. 


Operators or 
agents may 
he so desig¬ 
nated. 


Stretchers 
and first aid 
materiais 
are to be 
kept at vari¬ 
ous places 
in and about 
mines. 


which must be within the state and within ten miles of the 
principal place of business in the state, of the operator. 

(h) Provided, hoivever, That the mining engineer upon 
formal application of an operator is authorized to waive such 
ten-mile requirement when, in his judgment, the object and 
purpose of this section may best be attained by permitting a 
person to be designated whose office, place of employment, or 
place of business is more than ten miles distant from the 
principal place of business in the state, of the operator. 

(c) Such designation shall continue in force until revoked 
by the death or removal of the person so designated, or until 
revoked by an instrument in writing designating in like man¬ 
ner some other person upon whom such notices or processes 
may be served, or until the filing in such office of a written 
revocation of said consent executed by the person so desig¬ 
nated. If the person so designated dies, or removes beyond 
ten miles of the place of business of such operator, or files a 
revocation of his consent, the operator shall designate, within 
tliirty daj-s thereafter, in like manner some other person upon 
whom such notices or processes may be served within this state. 

(d) Services on such designated person of notices, warn¬ 
ings, or processes shall, in all cases arising under these rules, 
be deemed service on the operator represented; provided, 
further, that nothing herein contained shall be construed to 
prevent the said operator in person, or by its officers or agents, 
if said operator be a corporation, or any employee of such 
operator, from being so designated. 

Section 4. 

Care of the Injured. 

It shall be the duty of operators, superintendents, or anyone 
in charge of any mine, to keep at such places about the mine 
as may be designated by the chief inspector, a stretcher, a 
woolen blanket, a water-proof blanket, and such first aid 
materials, as may be designated in subsequent portions of these 
rules, in good condition for use in caring for any person who 
may be injured at the mine. Furthermore, at all mines where 
fifty or more men are employed, a first aid corps shall be organ¬ 
ized, consisting of the foreman or foremen, shift bosses, and 
other employees designated by the superintendent; and it 
shall be the duty of the operator or superintendent of the 
mine to cause the organization of such employees and to pro- 


INDUSTKFAL ACCIDENT COMMISSION. 


18 


vide for the instruction of the members of such first aid corps 
from time to time, not less than once in each calendar month, 
in the proper handling and treatment of injured persons 
before the arrival of a physician. 

The aforementioned first aid materials for use at the vari¬ 
ous stations where stretchers are kept shall consist of at least 
six first aid packets (each containing a gauze compress, and a 
triangular bandage) in water-proof casings, or wrappings. 

It shall be the duty of the mine superintendent to see that 
used or opened packets are immediately replaced. 

Section 5. 

Artificial Breathing Apparatus. 

(a) The operator or superintendent of a mine employing {J^eathlng 
more than thirty men underground shall provide and keep in 
a readily accessible place at least two sets of artificial breathing 
apparatus to be used in case of emergency. Aforesaid appa- [JJan 
ratus shall be of the type approved by the United States 
Bureau of Mines. For every additional fifty men so employed 
an additional artificial breathing apparatus shall be provided 
with a maximum number of six such apparatus. Nothing in 
this section shall be construed to prevent the construction of 
cooperative stations in any district, where mine operators may 
build and maintain a station to supply apparatus for several 
mines; provided, however, that at least two sets of apparatus 
shall be maintained for each fifty underground men in the 
mine employing the largest number of men in the district 
supplied by the cooperative station, with a maximum number 
of six apparatus for any one station; and provided, further, 
that the station shall be located at no greater distance from 
each mine which it supplies than can be covered by the most 
convenient means of transportation in fifteen minutes time 
•luring all seasons of the year; and provided, further, that 
mines may be excepted from these provisions, if in the opinion 
of the chief mine inspector, such apparatus is not necessary. 

(&) In addition to the supplies used for training of men, 
an emergency supply of oxygen and regenerators sufficient to 
keep each apparatus running for at least ten hours shall be apparatus, 
kept on hand. 

(c) The apparatus shall be inspected weekly by a competent 
man designated by the superintendent for this duty. Said 
inspection shall include a w^ater gauge and a liter bag test. 


14 


TKNTA1MVE MIKE SAFETY ETTEES. 


Men to be 
trained in 
use of 
apparatus. 


Monthly 
practice of 
trained men 
required. 


Mine maps 
and profiles 
to be made 
and brought 
up to date 
yearly. 


{d) Tlie result of siK^h tests and inspections shall be tabu¬ 
lated on a form to be furnished by the Commission, and shall 
be forwarded to the office of the chief mine inspector. 

(e) For each apparatus at least two men at each mine shall 
be so instructed in the use of the breathing api^aratus that they 
shall be thoroughly competent to use the same in actual serv¬ 
ice ; provided^ that in cases of cooperative stations the number 
of trained men from each mine shall be in proportion to the 
number of apparatus required for that mine. 

(/) The superintendent of each mine where breathing appa¬ 
ratus is kept shall cause the men who are trained in the use of 
said apparatus to practice with the same at least once each 
month. Said practice shall include work in a room or chamber 
filled with smoke or irrespirable gas for at least thirty minutes. 

(g) This rule shall go into effect six months after its 
approval by the Industrial Accident Commission. 

Section 6. 

Mine Maps. 

The operator of every mine shall make or maintain, or cause 
to be made or maintained by a competent mining engineer or 
surveyor, a clear and accurate map or maps, with sections, if 
necessary, showing clearly all the workings of such mine. At 
least once in every calendar year, or oftener, if necessary, the 
operator or superintendent of each mine shall cause to be shown 
clearly and accurately on the map or maps of such mine, all 
the excavations made therein during the time elapsed since 
such excavations were last shown on such map or maps, and 
all parts of said mine that shall have been worked out or 
abandoned during said elapsed period of time shall be clearh^ 
indicated oil said Inap or maps, and all underground workings 
shall be surveyed and mapped before they are allowed to 
become inaccessible. In addition to the above maps, lines of 
levels shall be run ou each working level and profiles plotted 
on cross section paper to show the existing grades on each 
main level. Such maps and profiles shall at all times be open 
to the examination of the chief inspector or any of his deputies. 

Section 7. 

Dangerous Mines. 

{a) Whenever the chief inspector or one of his deputies 
shall find any mine or part of any mine in an unsafe condition 
by reason of any violation of any of these-rules, or in a condi- 


INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT COMMISSION. 


15 


tion dangerous or detrimental to the life or health of those 
employed therein for the same reason or by reason of defects ^a®gp,.ous 
in timbering, or other means of support, in mining, in ventila- 
tion, or in sanitation, it shall be the duty of the chief inspector 
at once to serve or cause to be served a notice in writing on 
the operator or superintendent of such mine, or on the person 
designated by such operator for service in accordance with 
section 3 of these rules, and such notice shall set forth in detail 
the nature and extent of the defects that render the mine or 
part of the mine unsafe, dangerous or detrimental to the life 
or health of those employed therein, together with the point 
or place in the mine or in the workings of the mine where 
such defects exist, and such notice shall require the necessary 
changes to be made in such mine or part of the mine without 
delay or within a specified time at the discretion of the chief 
inspector. 

{!)) If it appear from a re-examination of the mine by the 
chief inspector or a deputy inspector that such necessary 
changes have not been made within the time specified in such follow 
notice, and that the mine or part of the mine is still in a con¬ 
dition of danger to life or health, and in the opinion of the 
inspector it is necessary for the safety of the life or health of 
the employees in such mine or part of the mine, the Industrial 
Accident Commission shall be notified and shall take such steps 
as are provided for in the Workmen’s Compensation, Insur¬ 
ance and Safety Act. 


Section 8. 

Fatal Accidents. 

Whenever a fatal accident occurs in or about any mine, 
notice thereof shall be given promptly by telephone or tele- 
graph if possible, followed by a notice in writing, to the chief telegraph, 
inspector, by the superintendent or other person having imme¬ 
diate charge of the work at the time of the accident. Upon 
receiving such notice the chief inspector or a deputy shall, if 
feasible and if the nature of the accident shows it to be neces¬ 
sary, proceed to the scene of the accident as early as possible 
and investigate fully the cause of the accident, and within investigation 

~ of ffttRl 

twenty days thereafter shall file the result of such investigation accidents to 
as a report in the office of the chief inspector. Whenever the whenneces- 
chief inspector or a deputy can not proceed as above to the 
scene of the accident, the person in charge of the mine shall 
be so informed by the chief inspector, and such person in 


16 


TENTATIVE MINE SAFETY. RULES. 


Statements charge shall obtain signed statements, sworn to where prac- 
offltaT*^^ ticable, of those who witnessed the accident, or if no one was 
be^fliedwith present at the time of such accident he shall obtain the state- 
Awkienf ments of those first arriving upon the scene. Such statements 
shall give, as far as possible, the details of the accident, the 
facts leading up to it, and its probable cause; such statements 
shall immediately thereafter be sent to the Industrial Accident 
Commission, which shall file the same in its office as public 
records. Blank forms for these statements shall be furnished 
by the Commission. 


Section 9. 

Women and Children in Mines. 

Employment No woman or girl, and no boy under the age of sixteen 
and children years, shall be employed or permitted to work underground 
years of age in any mine. Before any boy shall be permitted to work in 
any mine he shall produce to the operator, superintendent, 
or mine foreman thereof, an affidavit made by the parent, 
guardian, or next of kin of said boy, duly verified, containing 
a statement that the said boy is at least sixteen years of age; 
provided, hoivever, that nothing in this section shall be con¬ 
strued to prevent the employment of women, or children under 
sixteen years of age, in the offices or buildings connected with 
the mine. 


Section 10. 


Superin¬ 
tendent 
must be 
appointed. 


Superin¬ 
tendent to 
cause safety 
inspections 
to be made 
and to re¬ 
port to 
operator de¬ 
fects he 
can not 
immediateiy 
correct. 


Superintendent to be Appointed. 

(a) The operator of every mine shall appoint a man who 
shall be personally in charge of the mine and the performance 
of the work done therein, who shall be designated as the 
''superintendent”; provided, however, that nothing herein 
contained shall prevent the owner or operator of any mine 
from personally filling the office of superintendent. 

{h) The superintendent of every mine shall inspect, or cause 
some competent person or persons appointed by him to inspect, 
all mining appliances, boilers, engines, magazines, shafts, shaft 
houses, underground workings, roofs, pillars, timbers, explo¬ 
sives, bell ropes, speaking tubes, telephones, tracks, ladders, 
dry closets, and all parts and appliancas of said mine in actual 
use, and any such person or persons appointed by the said 
superintendent shall at once report an}’- defects therein to the 
superintendent. It shall be the duty of the superintendent 


INDUSTKIAL ACCIDENT COMMISSION. 


17 


upon ascertaining such defects, to take immediate steps to 
remedy the same so as to make the same comply with the 
provisions of these rules, and he shall forthwith notify the 
operator of said mine of the existence of any such defects as 
he may not be able to immediately correct. It shall be the 
duty of the superintendent to appoint a competent man to 
have full charge, under the direction of said superintendent, 
of every magazine containing explosives situated on such 
mining property, and to make such other appointments and 
perform such other duties as are provided by these rules to be 
performed by such superintendent. 

Section 11. 

Mine Foreman to be Appointed. 

The superintendent of every mine shall appoint a man who 
shall be personally in charge of the development of the under¬ 
ground workings of the mine and personally direct the work 
of the men employed underground therein, who shall be 
designated as the “mine foreman”; provided, hoioever, that Quaiiiit^i- 
nothing herein contained shall be construed to prevent the foremen, 
superintendent of any mine from also filling the position of 
mine foreman. No person shall be appointed to the position 
of mine foreman who shall not be at least twenty-one years 
of age, and shall not have had at least two years’ practical 
experience as an underground miner in metalliferous mines, 
and shall not be able readily to read and write the English 
language. 


Section 12. 

Foreman’s Duties. 

(a) The mine foreman shall attend personally to his duties 
in the mine as provided in these rules, and shall see that the gSy o7 
regulations provided herein for insuring the safety of all men 
employed in such mine are carried out; he shall immediately rSfoJt vS- 
report to the superintendent of the mine or, in the absence 
of the superintendent, to the assistant superintendent or mine 
operator, any violations or infringements of these rules 
observed by him within the mine, and shall take immediate 
steps to remedy the same. He shall warn all employees of 
danger to life or limb observed by him within the mine, and 
permit no person to work in an unsafe place, unless for the 
purpose of making it safe or when work in such a place is 


18 


TENTATIVE MINE SAFETY lUILES. 


Mine fore¬ 
man or as¬ 
sistants 
shall make 
two daily 
inspections 
of all under- 
ground 
working 
l)laces. 


Assistant 
mine fore¬ 
men must 
be appointed 
when fore¬ 
man can not 
carry out 
provisions of 
rules. 


Superintend¬ 
ent is liable 
if he orders 
violation of 
rules. 


No liquor or 
into.xlcated 
person 
allowed 
under¬ 
ground. 


Liquor may 
be provided 
for injured 
persons. 


unavoidable; and shall supervise the miners in the perfor¬ 
mance of their work. 

(h) The mine foreman shall make or cause his assistants or 
shift bosses to make an inspection oi every working place in 
the mine under his charge, at least two times during each shift 
or working day of eight hours. One of these inspections shall 
be made as early during the first half of the shift and the 
other as early during the second half of the shift as is con¬ 
sistent with the routine working of the mine; provided, that 
in the event of an undue number of accidents occurring in 
any mine, which, in the opinion of the chief inspector, might 
be decreased by more frequent inspections, it shall be left to 
his discretion to require such additional jnspections to be 
made by the mine foreman or his assistants or shift bosses. 

(c) Whenever a mine foreman can not personally carry out 
the provisions of these rules, so far as they pertain to him, the 
superintendent shall authorize him to employ a sufficient num¬ 
ber of competent persons to act as his assistants, who shall be 
subject to his orders and shall be known as “a-sistant mine 
foremen,” and they shall be under the direct supervision of 
the mine foreman and shall carry on the duties of the mine 
foreman as directed by him and as prescribed in other sections 
of these rules. 

(d) The mine foreman shall have charge of carrying out 
or directing the carrying out of his duties as prescribed in 
these rules; and any superintendent who shall direct or cause 
a mine foreman to disregard the provisions of these rules shall 
be amenable in the same manner as the mine foreman. 

Section 13. 

Intoxicating Liquor Prohibited in Mines. 

Whoever shall, while under the influence of intoxicating 
liciuor, enter any mine, or any of the buildings connected with 
the operation af the same where miners or other workmen 
are employed, or whoever shall carry intoxicating liquors into 
the same, shall be deemed guilty of a violation of these rules 
and upon conviction shall be punished accordingly; provided, 
however, that nothing herein contained shall prevent an 
authorized person carrying alcoholic spii-its or licpior into such 
mine or buildings for the purpose of administering to any one 
injured therein. 


INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT COMMISSION. 


19 


It shall be the duty of the mine foreman to enforee this rule 
and to report through the superintendent or operator to the 
chief inspector any violations thereof. 

Section 14. 

Report of Personal Accidents. 

Every personal accident occurring in or about any mine, TidentTmist 
including electric shocks and burns, and all accidents in con- tomriifg^ 
nection with the operation of electrical equipment, shall be 
promptly reported to the mine superintendent by the person 
injured, or, if such person shall be unable to do so by reason 
of the injury, then it shall be so reported by the person in 
immediate charge of the work at the time of the accident, or 
by some person acting on behalf of the injured person; and 
shall be recorded in a book kept for that purpose in the office 
of the mine, which book shall at all times be open to examina¬ 
tion by the chief inspector or any deputy. 

Section 15. 

General Safety Precautions. 

(a) The operator and superintendent of every mine shall 

use every reasonable precaution to insure the safety of the ‘'ii leaso"- 
workmen in the mine in all cases, whether or not provided for tionstopm- 
in these rules. 

(b) The mine foreman shall see that all dangerous places Dangerous 

• . places must 

are properly fenced off and proper danger-signal boards are be fenced 
so hung on such fencings that they may be plainly seen. 

(c) No man shall be employed at a working face at such solitary 
a distance from another that his cries in case of need can not forbidden, 
be heard, unless he is in communication with another employee 

at least once each hour. 

(d) All defects in or damage or injury to machinery or Employees 
timbering, or to apparatus and equipment generally in and 

about a mine, all unsafe or dangerous conditions in any part management, 
of a mine, and all accidents occurring in the course of mine 
operations; other than those of a purely minotr character, even 
though not resulting in personal injury, shall be promptly 
reported to the mine foreman or superintendent by the person 
observing the same. 

(e) Wages shall not be paid on any premises used for the 
sale of intoxicating liquors. 


4—16334 


^0 


TEI^TATTVE MINE SAFETY RitLES. 


Strangers 
and vlsitoi-s 
must be ac¬ 
companied 
underground 

by officials. llilllt: 


Workmen 
slinll be 
made ac- 
o.uainted 
with rules 
applicable 
to them. 


(/) Strangers or visitors shall not be allowed underground 
in any mine unless accompanied by the operator or an official 
or by an employee deputized by such operator or 
official to accompany them; but this rule shall not apply to 
engineers sampling or inspecting the mine or to students of 
mining schools who are making a study of operating conditions 
in such mine, or to the chief mine inspector or deputy 
inspectors. 

{g) Each workman employed in the mine, when first en¬ 
gaged, shall have his attention directed by the mine foreman 
to the provisions of these rules, which apply to underground 
employees. If the workman is able to intelligently read English 
he shall read the above provisions of the rules in the presence 
of the mine foreman or one of his assistants and at the con¬ 
clusion of the reading thereof shall sign a statement that he 
has read and understands them. If he can not read English 
intelligently the rules shall be read to him in a language which 
he understands and at the conclusion of the reading he shall 
signify that he understands the aforementioned provisions, 
and shall sign a statement to that effect. The form of the 
aforementioned statement shall be as follows: 

I have read (had read to me) all the rules pertaining to 
underground employees; I understand them and agree to be 
governed by them. 


Section 16. 

Miscellaneous Rules for Underground Men. 

(1) If you see caps or primers or sticks or pieces of dyna¬ 
mite lying about the mine, immediately put them in an abso¬ 
lutely safe place and deliver same to a boss or powder man 
at first opportunity. 

(2) Each shift boss or other designated official shall see that 
all the men on his shift are safely out of the mine at end of 
shift. 

(3) No person must get off or on cage, skip or bucket while 
same is in motion. 

(4) Never ring the signal for hoisting or lowering, unless 
cage or skip is at your station. Use call bell or telephone to 
call cage or skip. 

(5) Except in cases of extreme emergency, riding on loaded 
skips and on tops of cages, whether loaded or not, is strictly 
prohibited. This rule does not apply to riding on tops of 
cages to make inspections of shafts. 










INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT COMMISSION. 


21 


(6) The eager must never leave a station at any ^haft with¬ 
out first seeing that the bar or gate is properly placed in 
position so as to prevent any one walking into the shaft, and 
any employee using cage or skip without eager shall attend 
to same. 

(7) If any employee drops any material or tools down the 
shaft, he shall immediately report same, so the shaft may be 
inspected before continuing the regular work. 

(8) Trammers or other employees must not leave cars at 
or near switches or crossings in such a position that'they will 
not clear motors or cars moving on another track, 

(9) Traveling about unlighted stopes or drifts without a 
light is prohibited. When underground always carry matches 
and candle or lamp. 

(10) Report all dangerous conditions to the foreman. 

(11) Never stand on loose ore over a raise or chute. It 
may drop at any time and draw you in. 

(12) Defects in ladderways must be reported promptly to 
boss, who shall have same repaired immediately. If it be¬ 
comes necessary to remove a ladder from a regular traveling 
way, the danger signal must be posted above such removed 
ladder until same is replaced, or ladderway must be closed 
until made safe for travel. 

(13) When working above or below other men, let the 
others know about it. 

(14) The foreman, shift bosses and sub-bosses must see that 
all dangerous places in their respective territories are properly 
fenced off and posted with danger signs. 

(15) Shift bosses and sub-bosses shall see that all men 
under them are familiar with the various exits from their 
working places to the surface. 

(16) Do not smoke or carry lighted lamp or candle in your 
hat when handling dynamite or caps Place candle or lamp 
two or three feet to one side. 

(17) Caps and powder must not be left lying about the 
mine. Return all explosives to their proper places if you do 
not use them. 

(18) In tamping powder in drill holes only wooden ram¬ 
mers or loading sticks shall be used. The use of iron or 
steel for this purpose is forbidden. Tamping must be by 
pressure and not by blows. 

(19) All blasting of boulders must be done under the 
direct supervision of a boss or by some competent man desig¬ 
nated for the purpose. 


22 


TENTATIVE MINE SAFETY EULES. 


(20) Ill prepariiij^ to blast, miners must liave a reserve 
light in a convenient place for use in case their lights should 
go out after spitting the fuse. 

(21) Miners must not deepen holes ,or any part of holes 
left standing or abandoned which have previously been 
charged with explosives. 

(22) Employees are forbidden to lower or throw tools, steel 
or other material down the manway, except when a man 
is stationed below to warn passersby. 

(23) Loaders must not leave chutes until the same are 
properly closed. 

(24) Chutes into skip pockets at stations shall be guarded 
by satisfactory bars across top of each or railings around 
chute. 

(25) No miner shall be permitted to extract or attempt to 
extract explosives from a bore hole that has once been charged, 
but shall, when possible, put in a new primer and blast again, 
When not possible to do this, a new hole may be drilled, which 
shall not be nearer to the original hole than two feet, and shall 
be pointed at such an angle as to eliminate all danger of its 
meeting or coming closer to the other hole than two feet, and 
such new hole shall be charged with a fresh charge of explo¬ 
sives and then detonated; provided, that when the above rule 
can not be complied with, a hole nearer than two feet may be 
drilled under the direct supervision of the shift boss. 

(26) lieport all accidents, however slight, to the foreman. 

(27) If powder in magazine catches fire, do not attempt 
to put fire out with hose or extinguishers. These are kept for 
use in extinguishing fires started in refuse only. 

Section 17. 

Fencing Abandoned Shafts. 

An act to provide for the covering, or fencing of abandoned 
mining shafts, pits or excavations, the penalty, and also 
the penalty for removing or destroying the covering or 
fencing from same. 

. (Approved March 20, 1903.) 

The people of the State, of California, represented in senate 
and assembly, do enact as follows: 

Section 1. All abandoned mining shafts, pits or other 
abandoned excavations dangerous to passersby or live stock, 
shall be securely covered or fenced, and kept so, by the owners 




INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT COMMISSION. 


23 


of the land or persons in charge of the same, on which such 
shafts, pits or other excavations are located. Any person or 
persons failing to comply with the provisions of this section 
shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor. 

Sec. 2. All abandoned mining shafts, pits or other excava- Abandoned 
tions situated on unoccupied public lands may be securely and other 
covered or fenced by order of the board of supervisors of the openings 
county wherein the same is situated, and it shall be the duty Sed or 
of the board of supervisors to keep the same securely fenced 
or covered whenever it appears to them, by proof submitted, 
that the same is dangerous or unsafe to man or beast. The 
cost of said covering or fencing to be a county charge. 

Sec. 3. Any person or persons maliciously removing or 
destroying any covering or fencing placed around or over any 
shaft, pit or other excavation, as hereinbefore provided, shall 
be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor. 

Sec. 4. This act shall take effect six months from the day 
of passage. 


Section 18. 

Guard Rails. 

All machinery used in or about any mine, that, when in Moving 
motion, would be dangerous to persons coming in contact there- Ss!'S- 
with, such as- engines, wheels, screens, shafting, gears, and belt- SSi be ’ 
ing, shall be guarded by covering or railing so as to prevent with guards, 
persons from inadvertently walking against or falling upon the 
same. The sides of stairs, trestles, and dangerous plank walks, 
gangways, and platforms in and around the mines shall be 
provided with hand and guard railing to prevent persons from 
falling over the sides. This section shall not forbid the tem¬ 
porary removal of a fence, guard rail, or covering for the pur¬ 
pose of repairs or other operations, if proper precautions be 
used, and if the fence, guard rail, or covering be replaced 
immediately thereafter. 


Section 19. 

Boiler Inspection. 

All boilers used for generating steam in and about mines Yearly in- 
shall be kept in good order and the operator or superintendent E'^boir 
shall have thein examined and an internal inspection made by nmcJand^ 
a c[ualified person, not an employee of said operator, as often JSed. 
as once yearly, and oftener if the chief inspector or his dep- 


TENTATIVE MINE SAFETY KULES. 


uties shall deem it necessary; provided, that inspection by 
any boiler insurance company shall be considered equivalent 
to an examination by such qualified outside person. The 
boiler inspector shall render a. written report of his findings 
and recommendations to the chief inspector of mines within 
thirty days after the inspection is made. It shall be the duty 
of the operator to provide each boiler with a safety valve of 
sufficient area, based on the steam pressure carried and the 
grate surface, for the steam to escape, and with weights or 
springs properly adjusted and with a steam gage and water 
gages; and another steam gage shall be attached to the steam 
pipes in the engine house. All steam gages shall be placed 
in such position that the engineer or fireman can readily 
examine them and see what pressure is carried. All steam 
gages shall be kept in good order and shall be tested and 
adjusted as often as once every year, and their condition 
reported to the chief inspector in the same manner as the 
report of the boiler inspection. 

A daily test shall be made of each safety valve, water gage 
and all gage cocks. 


Section 20. 

Sanitation—Dry Closets, Drinking Water, Change Houses, 

Etc. 

b^TidSf' («) It shall be the duty of the operator of every mine, for 
the purpose of improving the sanitation thereof and preserv- 
to surface, health of those employed therein, to provide dry or 

water-closets upon all main working levels for the use of all 
men employed in the mine. At least one of such closeta shall 
be provided for every twenty-five men employed within the 
mine. Ready means of access to each such closet shall be 
provided by the operator. No such closet shall be constructed 
without adequate provision for the effectual cleansing and 
removing of the contents thereof, which shall be removed and 
disposed of at least once in every day. It shall be the duty 
of the mine foreman to cause each closet to be supplied with 
some disinfectant or deodorizer to be sprinkled upon the con¬ 
tents thereof. It shall be the duty of all men employed within 
any mine where such closets are provided to use such closets 
exclusively when in the mine, and the neglect or failure of 
any man employed in a mine to use such closets when provided 
shall constitute a violation of these rules; provided, however, 
that this section shall not apply to any mine where the operator 


INDUSTUIAL ACCIDENT C0J\1MISSI0N. 


or superintendent prefers to permit the men to go to the 
surface, and recjuires the men to do so. 

(b) It shall be the duty of the operator of every mine to oSinking^ 
provide a good quality of drinking water for the use of all 

. . be provided. 

men employed in the mine, a supply of which shall be provided 
on each main working level, and it shall be the further duty 
of the superintendent to cause such supply of drinking water 
to be adequately protected from contamination by dust and 
from promiscuous drinking from the supply vessel on the 
part of the men. 

(c) The operator of every mine employing more than bJusTshaii 
twenty-five men underground shall provide a dressing room provided, 
or a change house for the purpose of drying the clothing of 

the persons employed in and about the mine, and such 
dressing room or change house shall be provided with ade- 
((uate means of heating and lighting. Such dressing room 
or change house shall be available to the men at all times 
when they are going on or coming off shift, and shall be 
equipped with shower baths with hot and cold water, at least 
one shower being provided for each fifteen men on a shift 
working in the mine, or such a number as may be approved 
by the mine inspector. Such change houses shall at all times 
be kept reasonably clean and in sanitary condition. 

(d) Every person employed in a mine who damages or 
misuses, or fails to use when necessary, any appliance for the ap^J^es. 
prevention of dust, fumes, or smoke, or any other sanitary 
appliance provided by the operator, shall be deemed guilty 

of a violation of these rules. 

(e) Refuse from lunch buckets shall not be thrown at 
random in the mine, but shall be placed in receptacles pro¬ 
vided for the purpose or shall be left in the lunch buckets 
until carried to the surface. 

Section 21. 

Providing for Mine Exits. 

An act requiring compensation for causing death by wrongful 
acty neglect or default. 

(Approved April 26, 1862.) 

Section 1. It shall not be lawful for any corporation. JeauSor 
association, owner, or owners of any (piartz mining claim 
within the State of California, where such corporation, associ- f®etdeep. 
ation, owner or owners employ twelve men daily, to sink down 


26 


TENTATIVE MINE SAFETY EULES. 


Two escape- 
ways to sur¬ 
face must 
be provided. 


Some devel¬ 
opment work 
may be car¬ 
ried oil with 
only one 
pscapeway. 


into such mine or mines any perpendicular shaft or incline 
beyond a depth from the surface of three hundred feet without 
providing a second mode of egress from such mine, hy shaft or 
tunnel, to connect with the main shaft at a depth of not less 
than one hundred feet from the surface. 

Sec. 2. It shall be the duty of each corporation, associa¬ 
tion, owner or owners of any quartz mine or mines in this 
state, where it becomes necessary to work such mines beyond 
the depth of three hundred feet, and where the number of 
men employed therein daily shall be twelve or more, to pro¬ 
ceed to sink another shaft or construct a tunnel so as to con¬ 
nect with the main working shaft of such mine as a mode 
of escape from underground accident, or otherwise. And all 
corporations, associations, owner or owners of mines, as afore¬ 
said, working at a greater depth than three hundred feet, not 
having any other mode of egress than from the main shaft, 
shall proceed as herein provided. 

Section 22. 

Two Openings to Surface. 

(1) It shall be the duty of every operator of every mine, 
except as hereinafter provided, to maintain at least two out¬ 
lets to the surface from such mine, or an underground com¬ 
municating passageway between every such mine and some 
other neighboring mine, so that there shall be at all times at 
least two distinct and available means of access to the surface 
to all persons employed in such mine. Such outlets shall not 
be less than one hundred feet apart and shall not be covered 
by one building or by connecting buildings. 

(2) No mine shall be worked to a greater depth than five 
hundred feet below a level which connects to both outlets from 
the mine. 

(3) Provided, however, that the above requirements shall 
not apply in the case of {a) shafts or mines in process of being 
connected, to comply with the terms of this section ; (b) shafts, 
winzes, adit levels, tunnels, and drifts to prospect for and 
develop mineral substances, but not for the extraction of 
mineral substances, except such as may be extracted in the 
course of such prospecting and developing work; (c) any 
mine in which one of the shafts or outlets shall have tempo¬ 
rarily become unavailable for the persons employed in the 
mine, and in which every effort is being made by the operator 
of the mine to open such temporarily unavailable outlet, and 


INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT COMMISSION. 


27 


provided the same is not, in the opinion of the chief inspector, 
dangerous to the life and health of those employed therein; 

(d) mines having workings less than three hundred feet deep, 
but no mines opened primarily by an adit level or tunnel; and 

(e) mines opened by an adit level, tunnel, or drift less than 
one thousand feet in length; and provided, further, that 
mines opened by an inclined shaft of less than 20 degrees 
angle from the horizontal shall be considered for the purpose 
of this section as equivalent to a mine opened by an adit 
level, tunnel, or drift. 

Section 23. 

Openings Through Other Mines. 

When a communicating outlet shall have been established by 
agreement between contiguous mines or mines not contiguous, 
the operator of neither mine shall close the same, except tempo¬ 
rarily in cases of extreme emergency, without the consent of 
both the other operator, or owner, and of the chief inspector 
of mines. When operators of such mines have by agreement 
established underground communication between said mines 
as an escapement outlet for the men employed in both, it shall 
be the duty of each operator to cause such communicating out¬ 
let in each operator’s mine to be inspected at least once in 
every seven days, and it shall be the duty of each operator 
to see to it, within his respective mine, that the same is kept 
clear of every obstruction to travel, and that intervening doors, 
if any, shall be kept unlocked and ready at all times for immedi¬ 
ate use. 

In the event of failure or refusal on the part of one operator 
to keep such opening in safe condition, the other operator shall 
have access thereto for the purpose of repairing and maintain¬ 
ing the same; provided, hoivever, that when such an outlet shall 
have been established, each operator, unless it shall have been 
otherwise provided by agreement, shall pay a fair proportion¬ 
ate share of keeping such opening in such condition that men 
working in such mines may have access to the surface thereby; 
provided, further, that in the event of either operator desiring 
to abandon mining operations, the expense and duty of main¬ 
taining such communication shall devolve upon the party con¬ 
tinuing operations and using the same; provided, further, that 
in case one of such mines shall cease or suspend operations and 
there is danger of the mine still in operation being flooded by 
reason of the existence of such communicating outlet, the 


Escapeways 
tluouffh 
other mines 
shall not l)e 
closed. 


Upkeep of 
escapeways 
through 
ahandoned 
mines, etc. 


5_i6334 


28 


TENTATIVE MINE SAFETY lUTLES. 


Ladderway 
compart¬ 
ments must 
be main¬ 
tained in 
shafts of 
mines hav¬ 
ing but one 
outlet. 


Inflammable 
structures 
shall not be 
erected over 
mine 
outlets. 


operator of such mine still working shall have the right to 
close such outlet upon giving notice to the owner or operator 
of the adjoining mine and to the chief inspector of mines. 

Section 24. 

Provisions Affecting Mines Having Only One Outlet. 

In every mine, where under the provisions of sections 21 
and 22 of these rules, only one outlet is required and where 
a single shaft affords the only means of ingress or egress lo 
persons employed underground, such shaft if more than twm 
hundred feet deep shall be divided into at least two compart¬ 
ments. One of said compartments shall be set aside for use 
as a ladderway and no hoisting conveyance shall be allowed 
therein. Whenever such ladderway compartment shall be 
covered by a nonfireproof building it shall be the duty of the 
operator of said mine to cause said ladderway to be securely 
bulkheaded at a point at least twenty-five feet below the collar 
of the shaft; and below this bulkhead a passageway shall be 
driven to the surface so as to have its outlet in no case less than 
thirty feet beyond the walls of the building covering the main 
shaft. The said passageway shall be equipped with a ladder¬ 
way when necessary, as provided in subsequent rules, and 
shall be kept in good repair and shall afford an easy exit in 
the event of fire. Every mine opened by adit level or tunnel 
or by an inclined shaft or slope of less than twenty degrees 
angle from the horiontal, any of which less than one thousand 
feet in length, and having but one outlet, shall have a similar 
side outlet. 


Section 25. 

Outlets Not to be Covered by Inflammable Houses. 

After the approval of these rules no operator of any mine 
shall erect any combustible structure over the shaft, tunnel, 
or other mine opening, except headframes necessary for hoist¬ 
ing from such shaft or other mine opening, and the hatch 
or door necessary for closing such shaft or other mine opening; 
provided, however, that a housing of noninflammable and fire¬ 
proof material may be erected over any shaft, tunnel, or other 
mine opening to protect the men working at such point. 

When the portal of any mine opening or the collar of any 
shaft is covered by a nonfireproof building the operator of the 
mine shall provide a fireproof door, which shall be and fit 


INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT COMMISSION. 


'2d 


as nearly gas tight as possible. Said door shall be installed in 
such a way that the mouth of siudi mine opening- can be closed 
from the outside of the building- by a pull wire or cable, in the 
event of fire. 


Section 26. 

Ventilation. 

The operator of every mine, whether operated by shaft, 
slope, tunnel, adit level, or drift, shall provide and maintain 
for every such mine a good and sufficient amount of ventilation 
for such men and animals as may be employed therein, and 
shall cause an adequate quantity of pure air to circulate 
through and into all the shafts, winzes, levels, and all the 
working places of such mine. 

Not less than twenty cubic feet of pure free air per minute, 
per man, shall be provided in each working place underground. 
In all tight ends,” including drifts, crosscuts, raises, and 
winzes, this air shall be conducted to within twenty-five feet 
of the working face, except at such times as it is necessary to 
remove the pipe or other ventilating device to a greater dis¬ 
tance from the face, to prevent its being injured by a blast. 

Section 27. 

Safety Pillars. 

No stoping shall be done within twenty feet of a shaft that 
is used for hoisting men or material; provided, however, that 
stoping may be done within twenty feet of such shaft if the 
chief inspector of mines has been first notified in writing and 
his approval secured. 


Section 28. 

Roof Inspection. 

In all mines where stoping is done by the opening of cham¬ 
bers, the roof thereof being supported only by the walls of the 
chambers, or by pillars and a few stulls, it shall be the duty of 
the superintendent of the mine to detail a competent man to 
make a frequent inspection of the roof of those parts of the 
mine where men are employed, and said man so detailed shall 
be charged with the duty of dislodging any slabs of rocks 
in said roof, that have become loose. While such dislodgment 
is being effected, the floor of the stope immediately beneath 


Ample ven¬ 
tilation shall 
be provided. 


Special per¬ 
mit required 
for stoping 
within 20 
feet of shaft. 


Special In¬ 
spections of 
certain 
slopes 
required. 


30 


TENTATIVE MINE SAFETY RULES. 


Rock to be 
removed 
from timbers 
ill manways. 


Working 
pieces to 
be timliered- 
when neces¬ 
sary. 


Suflicient 
timber to be 
supplied by 
operator. 


Miners shall 
not work 
when suffi¬ 
cient timber 
is not 
supplied. 


such loose rock shall be fenced off or otherwise adequately 
guarded; provided, however, that it shall be the duty of every 
miner to care for the roof of the place where he is working. 

It shall also be the duty of the superintendent of every mine 
to cause frequent inspection to be made of the roof of all drifts, 
adit levels, tunnels, and gangways by a competent person 
detailed for such purpose. 

Section 29. 

Cleaning of Manv^ays. 

The timbers in all manways in daily use shall be cleaned of 
all loose rock lodged upon them at least once in every twenty- 
four hours. Manways in daily use shall be kept clear of 
obstructions. 


Section 30. 

Fire Inspection. 

In all heavily timbered stopes it shall be the duty of the 
mine foreman to cause fire inspection to be made after each 
shift shall have left such stope. 

Section 31. 

Timbering. 

Every shaft, incline, slope, adit, tunnel, level, or drift, and 
every working place in the mine shall be, when necessary, 
kept securely timbered or protected to prevent injury to any 
person from falling material. It shall be the duty of the 
operator to carry out and enforce the provisions of this rule, 
but nothing contained herein shall be construed to relieve the 
miner from the duty of caring for his- own working place, save 
as hereinafter provided. 

It shall be the duty of the operator to see that all miners 
in the mine are supplied, at all times, with such timbers as 
are necessary to keep their working places in a safe condition. 
For the purposes of this and the succeeding rules the term 
“timbers” shall be held to include and mean all wood to be 
used by the miner. 

If for any cause necessary timbers can not be supplied to 
any miner when required, it shall be the duty of the mine 
foreman to instruct the miner or miners to vacate all such 
worldng places until supplied with the timbers needed, but 
nothing contained herein shall be construed to relieve the 
operator of the duty of supplying such timbers. 


INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT COMMISSION. 


31 


Section 32. 

Winzes or Raises, 

Winzes opening directly from the floor of a drift or stope Sefand 
shall be kept covered by a substantial hatch or bars, or shall ie^proSd. 
be planked over, except when in use, or shall be barred off by a 
substantial railing not less than three and one-half feet nor 
more than four feet above the level of the floor, or shall be 
provided with a gangway on one side not less than twelve 
inches wide, which gangway shall have a substantial handrail¬ 
ing not less than three and one-half feet nor more than four 
feet above the floor, and the approaches to such gangway 
at either end shall be protected by a substantial railing not 
less than three and one-half feet nor more than four feet above 
the floor. 

Stopes opening directly from the floor of a drift shall be 
protected by a fence or a substantial handrail not less than 
three and one-half feet nor more than four feet in height above 
the floor of the drift, or such stopes shall be securely planked 
over. 

Drifts used as manways intersecting overhead workings JJ^sedoV^ 
through which material is dropped shall be closed to the pass- 
age of persons by a substantial rail not less than three and 
one-half feet nor more than four feet in height above the floor 
of the drift, on each side of the working, whenever material is 
to be dropped through such working, and the drift shall be 
kept so closed during periods when the working is so in use. 

Section 33. 

Shaft Protection. 

(a) At all shaft stations ^ gate or a guardrail not less than Guards at 

^ ' in shaft sta- 

three and one-half feet or more than four feet above the floor tions shaii 

be provided. 

shall be provided and kept in place across the shaft, except 
when the cage, skip, bucket, or other conveyance is being loaded 
or unloaded thereat, but this prohibition shall not forbid the 
temporary removal of the gate or rail for the purpose of repairs 
or other operations if proper precaution to prevent danger to 
persons be taken. 

{h) The top of all shafts shall be protected by a substantial 
railing, approved by the mine inspector, which may be pro- guarded, 
vided with the necessary gates to give access to the shaft, but 
such gates shall he kept closed when no skip or cage is standing 
at the collar. 


32 


TENTATIVE MINE SAFETY MULES. 


Hatches pro¬ 
vided where 
buckets used. 


Passageways 
around 
shaft at 
level station. 


Inspection 
of shafts. 


Bulklieads 
in shafts. 


When me¬ 
chanical 
haulage is 
used, places 
of refuge are 
required. 


(c) If hoisting be done from greater depth than one hun¬ 
dred feet by means of a bucket, shaft doors shall be constructed 
that will prevent any material from falling into the shaft 
while the bucket is being dumped, and such doors shall be 
closed while the bucket is being dumped. 

{cl) All stations or levels shall have such a passageway 
around the working shaft that crossing through the hoisting 
compartment may be avoided; entering or crossing the hoisting 
compartment of a shaft except to ascend or descend, or for the 
purpose of inspecting or effecting repairs, is prohibited ; before 
repairs are commenced the person in charge of or directing 
the repairs shall inform the hoisting engineer of the nature 
thereof: 

(e) All compartments of shafts used for the hoisting and 
lowering of men or ore, shall be regularly inspected at least 
once each week to see if there are any broken guides or other 
defects. Any defects, if found, shall be reported and repaired 
before further use of said compartment. The frecpiency of 
these inspections may be increa.sed if necessary in the opinion 
of the mine inspector. 

(/‘) In shafts, winzes or raises of more than thirty-five 
degrees inclination from the horizontal, where two or more 
crews of men are working, one crew above another, there shall 
be bulkhead between each two crews of men, strong enough 
to stop any tools or other material that may fall from the men 
working above, and only the cage, skip or bucket compart¬ 
ments shall be left open. 


Section 34. 

Places of Refuge. 

In every mine in which mechanical haulage is employed 
there shall be at intervals of not more than one hundred feet 
on each main haulage way, except in shafts, places of refuge 
affording a space of at least two and one-half feet in width 
between the widest portion of the car or train running on the 
tramway and the side of the haulage way. 

Every such place of refuge shall be kept constantly clear, 
and no refuse shall be placed therein, and no person shall in 
any way prevent access thereto. 


33 


INUUSTIUAL ACCIDENT COMMISSION. 

Section 35. 

Protection Against Water. 

No raise shall be allowed to approach within ten feet of 
any part of a winze, stope, or other opening in which there 
IS a dangerous accumulation of water, unless such winze or 
stope be first unwatered by bailing or pumping or by means 
of a bore from the raise. 

When advancing a drift, adit level, or incline toward a mine 
working that is suspected to be filled with water, a bore hole ^ept ahead 
shall be kept at least fifteen feet in advance of the breast approaching 
01 the drive when m the vicinity of such mine working, and of water, 
also, if necessary, in directions laterally from the course of the 
drive. Such a working place shall not exceed six feet in width, 
and such additional precautionary measures shall be taken as 
may be deemed necessary to obviate the danger of a sudden 
breaking through of water. 

In every mine where, in the opinion of the chief inspector 
of mines, there is danger of a sudden inburst of water, such 
additional raises, driffs, or other workings shall be constructed 
as are necessary, in the opinion of the inspector, to insure the 
escape of workmen from the lower workings. 

Section 36. 

Sumps. 

All sumps shall be securely covered or fenced except when 
being cleaned or repaired or for similar purposes. 

Section 37. 

Slopes. 

In stopes timbered with square setts the working floors 
shall be closely and securely lagged over. Openings in the 
floors shall be protected by railings, or gratings. 

Section 38. 

Whims. 

Whims in use at or in mines, shall be provided with a suit¬ 
able stopper or some other reliable device to prevent running 
back of the bucket or other conveyance. 


34 


Laililerways 
shall be 
provided 
from surface 
to lowest 
workings. 


Platforms 
required in 
ladderways. 


TENTATrVJO MINE SAFETY RULES. 

Section 39. 

Crossheads. 

All vertical shafts more than three hundred feet deep, from 
which hoisting is done by means of a bucket, shall be provided 
with suitable guides, and in connection with the bucket there 
shall be a crosshead traveling upon these guides. The height 
of the crosshead shall be at least two-thirds of its width. 

Section 40. 

Ladderways and Ladders. 

It shall be the duty of the operator of every mine to pro¬ 
vide, in addition to any mechanical means of ingress or egress, 
at least one means of outlet for the miners by means of ladders 
from the lowest workings of the mine to the surface. All 
ladders and ladderways constructed after the approval of 
these rules shall be built as prescribed in the following rules: 

(a) The distance between the centers of the rungs of a 
ladder shall not exceed twelve inches, and shall not vary more 
than one half inch in any one l^adderway. 

(b) The rungs of a ladder shall in no case be less than 
three inches from the wall or other obstruction in the shaft 
or opening in which the ladder shall be used. 

(c) Every ladderway with an inclination of more than sixty 
degrees from the horizontal, the distance between the top and 
bottom of which is more than fifty feet, that is used for the 
ascent and descent of persons working in the mine, shall have 
substantial platforms at intervals of not more than twenty 
feet, measured vertically, and the inclination of any ladder 
or section of a ladder, except the first ten feet above the floor 
of level shall not exceed eighty degrees from the horizontal. 

(d) All such platforms, except for an opening large enough 
to permit the passage of a man, shall be closely covered. 

(e) Ladders shall project at least three feet above every 
platform in the ladderway and at least three feet above the 
collar of the shaft, unless handrails shall be fixed at such 
places. 

(/) In vertical workings not exceeding fifty feet in depth 
or height, ladders may be fixed vertically; no vertical ladders 
shall be used with a greater height or depth than fifty feet. 

(g) Under no circumstances shall any ladder inclining 
backward from the vertical be installed. 


INDUSTRIAL. ACCIDENT COMMISSION. 


35 


(h) Ladderways shall be provided in all shafts steeper than 
sixty degrees from the horizontal in the course of sinking, to 
within such a distance from the bottom thereof as will secure 
them from damage by blasting. From the end of such ladder- 
ways, chain, wire rope, or wooden extension ladders to reach 
to the bottom of the shaft shall be provided. 

(i) All ascending and descending manways through stopes, 
and every shaft, winze, raise, or incline, through which men 
are obliged to pass, shall be provided with ladders and lad- 
derways as specified in this section; provided, however, that 
where the slope of the working place is such as to permit the 
installation of stairways that can be easily and safely traversed, 
such stairways may be substituted for ladders. 

(i) Every exit or outlet from a mine shall be marked with 
signboards plainly showing the direction to be taken wherever 
more than one course is possible; provided, however, that no 
signboards shall be necessary where the exit or outlet does 
not branch or fork. 

(A) It shall be the duty of the superintendent to enforce 
the carrying out of rules {a) to (,;), inclusive, of this section. 

Section 41. 

Elimination of Rock Dust. 

{a) No operator or person in charge of any underground 
mine shall cause to be drilled or bored by machinery, a hole 
or holes in any working place in ground that causes dust 
from drilling, unless said machinery is equipped with a water 
jet or spray, or other means equally efficient to prevent the 
escape of dust; provided, that when water jets or sprays are 
used, water free from pollution with organic or other noxious 
matter, shall be furnished. 

(6) No person or persons shall drill or bore a hole in said 
working places without using said appliance for the preven¬ 
tion of dust. 

(c) Every mine operator shall equip all chutes, from which 
dusty ore or rock is taken, with a sprinkler or other device 
with which to effectively dampen said ore or rock, to prevent 
the escape of dust into the air during removal; provided, that 
whenever in the opinion of the chief inspector the installation 
of said device in any property is impracticable, he shall have 
the power to exempt such property. 


E.xtension 
ladders re¬ 
quired when 
sinking 
shafts. 


Stairways 
may be sub¬ 
stituted for 
ladders. 


Exit sign¬ 
boards 
required. 

.« 


Dust from 
tlrilliiig 
must be 
allayed. 


Dust from 
cliutes must 
be allayed. 


36 


TENTATIVE MINE SAFETY RULES. 


(Jaudles 
must be iii 
sconces 
when used 
as station¬ 
ary lights at 
timbered 
stations. 


Stationary 
liglits are re- 
Quired at 
shaft sta¬ 
tions and in 
pump rooms. 


Require¬ 
ments for 
storage of 
oils and 
inflammable 
materials. 


{d) Whenever a sprinkling device is installed at any chute 
for the purpose of preventing the escape of dust, it shall be 
so placed that it can be operated by the workmen loading 
cars from such chute. 

(e) Every ore house where dusty ore or rock is sorted 
shall be supplied at all times with suitalile clean water, which 
shall be used for the purpose of sprinkling said ore or rock to 
allay the dust. 


Section 42. 

Lighting and Candles. 

{a) No candle shall be left burning in a mine or any part 
of a mine when the person using the candle shall depart from 
his work for the day. 

(h) Where candle illumination is used underground metal 
sconces shall be provided at all timbered stations where candles 
are burning, and it shall not be permitted to place or keep 
lighted candles in such places except in metal sconces. The 
aforesaid sconces shall be so constructed that water may be 
kept in the bottom thereof in such a way that ‘‘snuffs” drop¬ 
ping from the candle thimbles will be instantly extinguished 
and retained in the sconces. The sconces shall at all times 
have sufficient water in the bottom to extinguish a falling 
“snuff.” 

(c) Stationary lights shall be provided during the work¬ 
ing hours at all shaft stations during the time the same are 
in actual use, and also at all stations on the levels where 
hoisting or hauling is effected by means of machinery; also 
at night at all places on the surface where work is being 
conducted, and at the head of any shafts not fenced or covered. 

{d) All places where hoisting, pumping, or other machinery 
is erected, and in the proximity of which persons employed 
in the mine are working or moving about, shall be so lighted 
that the moving parts of such machinery can be readily dis¬ 
tinguished. 


Section 43. 

Inflammable Material. 

{a) It shall be the duty of the operator of every mine 
in Avhich oils and other dangerous inflammable materials are 
used, to store such materials, or cause them to be stored, in a 


IXDUSTIUAL ACCIDENT COMMISSION. 


37 


covered building kept solely for such storage, which building 
shall be at least one hundred feet from any shaft, tunnel, 
or other mine opening, or building over a mine opening, and 
at least three hundred feet from any powder magazine; pro¬ 
vided, that gasoline, naptha, distillate, and fuel oils may be 
stored in a tank or tanks buried in the ground, which tank or 
tanks shall be provided with proper vents, and shall be placed 
at least fifty feet from any shaft, tunnel, or other mine opening, 
or building over a mine opening, and at least three hundred 
feet from any powder magazine; and provided further, that 
lubricating oils may be stored in a well-constructed, covered 
building, which shall be at least fifty feet from any shaft, 
tunnel, or other mine opening, or building over a mine opening, 
and at least three hundred feet from any powder magazine. 

No tank shall be installed from which oil is to be conducted 
by gravity to the point of combustion, unless such tank shall 
be so located that escaping oil can not run over the surface 
from such tank to any building. 

(6) All oil supply lines shall be properly protected by 
automatic stop valves to prevent an excessive escape of oil 
in case of breakage. 

(c) The man in charge of such building or tank or tanks, JJay^s'^sippjy 
who shall be the superintendent or a person expressly desig- 
nated by him, shall permit only sufficient oil or other inflam- 
mable material to be taken from such building or tank or tanks 
to meet the requirements of one day. If any oil or gasoline 
storage be so situated that leakage would permit the oil or 
gasoline to flow within the above-specified distances^, means 
to prevent such flow must be provided. 

{d) Oil, either lubricating or illuminating, shall not be JuSlT/oii 
taken into the underground workings of any mine, except such quantities of 
quantity as is sufficient to meet the estimated requirements of aiiowSf 
the mine during the succeeding twenty-four hours, and in “'i^erground. 
no case shall oil be allowed to accumulate to exceed three 
days’ supply. The use of gasoline underground is forbidden, 
except in small amounts such as required for blow torches 
used in making electrical connections. 

(e) Waste timber or old timber shall not be piled and per- wasteuni- 
mitted to decay in the mine, but shall be removed from the removed 
mine promptly. Empty boxes, wooden chips, paper, and com¬ 
bustible rubbish of all kinds shall be removed from every 
working place underground at least once in every twenty-four 
hours. 


38 


TENTATIVE MINE SAFETY RULES. 


Inflammable 
material 
shall not be 
stored near 
mine 
openings. 


Oiiy waste 

removed 

from 

underground. 


Definitions 

and 

application. 


(/) Timber framing or storage sheds or any inflammable 
structure or piles of inflammable material shall not be placed 
or permitted to remain within one hundred feet of any mine 
opening, shaft house or hoisting-engine house; provided, how¬ 
ever, that wooden headframes for hoisting and lowering may 
be erected and operated, and wooden structures or headhouses 
over or near shafts or openings, which have been return air¬ 
ways continuously for the past two years, need not be removed 
during the time the said shafts or openings continue to be 
return airways at all seasons. But if said shafts or openings 
should, for any reason, become intake airways at any time, then 
the foregoing part of this section shall apply, provided that 
if fire and gas proof doors, approved by the chief mine inspec¬ 
tor, are installed, exceptions may be made to the above 
provisions. 

{g) All inflammable material that may be stored in any 
existing house or structure erected over any shaft, tunnel, 
or other mine opening shall be immediately removed, and 
such inflammable material shall not be stored within fifty 
feet of the exterior walls of such house or structure now 
existing, or that may hereafter be built. 

(h) All oily waste and waste of any kind used in and about 
underground machinery shall be deposited in metal receptables. 

Section 44. 

Regulations Provided for Control of Explosives. 

An act relating to. explosives and prescribing regidations for 
the transportation, storage and selling of explosives, and 
providing penalties for the violation of this act. 

(Approved March 20, 1911.) 

The people of the State of California, represented in senate 
and assembly, do enact as follows: 

Section 1. The term ‘‘explosive” or “explosives” when¬ 
ever used in this act, shall include gunpowder, blasting powder, 
dynamite, guncotton, nitroglycerine or any compound thereof, 
fulminate, and every explosive substance having an explosive 
power equal to or -greater than black blasting powder, and 
any substance intended to be used by exploding or igniting 
the same to produce a force to propel missiles, or rend apart 
substances, but does not include said substances, or any of 
them, in the form of fixed ammunition for small arms. The 
term “person” whenever used herein shall be held to include 


INDUSTKIAL ACCIDENT COMAfTSSION. 


39 


corporations as well as natural persons; words used in the 
singular number to include the plural and the plural the 
singular. The words ‘‘explosive manufacturing plant” shall 
be understood to include all the land used in connection with 
the manufacture and storage of explosives thereat. 

Sec. 2. Except only at an explosive manufacturing plant, are reiuTmi 
no person shall have, keep or store, at any place within the explosives, 
state, any explosives unless such explosives are completely 
enclosed and encased in tight metal, wooden or fibre containers, 
and, except while being transported, or within the custody of 
a common carrier pending delivery to consignee, shall be kept 
and stored in a magazine constructed and operated as herein¬ 
after described, and no person having in his possession or 
control, any explosives, shall under any circumstances permit 
or allow any grains or particles thereof to be or remain on the 
outside or about the containers, in which such explosives are 
contained. 

Sec. 3. IMagazines in which explosives may lawfully be 
stored or kept shall be two classes, as follows: 

(a) Magazines of the first class shall consist of those con- 
taining explosives exceeding fifty pounds, and shall be con- 
structed wholly of brick, wood covered with iron, or other fire¬ 
proof material, and must be fireproof, and, except magazines 
where gunpowder or black blasting powder only is stored, 
must be bullet proof, and shall have no openings except for 
ventilation and entrance. The doors of such magazines must 
be fireproof and bullet proof, and at all times kept closed and 
locked, except when necessarily opened for the purpose of 
storing or removing explosives therein or therefrom, by persons 
lawfully entitled to enter the same. Every such magazine 
shall have sufficient openings for ventilation thereof, which 
must be screened in such manner as to prevent the entrance 
of sparks or fire through the same. Upon each side of such 
magazine there shall at all times be kept conspicuously posted 
a sign, with the words, “Magazine,” “Explosives,” “Danger¬ 
ous,” legibly printed thereon in letters not less than six 
inches high. No matches, fire or lighting device of any kind, 
shall at any time be permitted in any such magazine. No 
package of explosives shall at any time be opened in any 
magazine, nor shall any open paekage of explosives be kept 
therein. No blasting caps, or ether detonating or fulminat¬ 
ing caps, or detonators, or electric ,&zees, shall be kept or 
stored in any magazine in which explosives are kept or stored. 



40 


TKKTATIVE MINE SAFETY RULES. 


Construction 
and regula¬ 
tion of small 
magazines. 


Tunnels with 
iron doors 
may be u.sed 
as maga¬ 
zines. 


Penalty. 


})ut such caps, detonators or fuzees may be kept or st(u*ed in 
a magazine ('onstructed as above provided wliicli must be 
located at least one hundred feet from any magazine in which 
explosives are kept or stored. Magazines in which explosives 
are kept or stored must be detached, and must be located at 
least one hundred feet from any other structure. 

(h) Magazines of the second class shall consist of a stout 
wooden box, covered with sheet iron, and not more than fifty 
pounds of explosives shall at any time be kept or stored therein, 
and, except when necessarily opened for use by authorized 
persons, shall at all times be kept securely locked. Upon 
each such magazine there shall at all limes be kept conspicu¬ 
ously posted a sign with the words, “Magazine,” “Explo¬ 
sives,” “DangeroiLs, ” legibly printed thereon. 

Nothing in this section contained shall be held to prohibit 
the keeping or storing of explosives in any tunnel, where no 
person or persons are employed; provided, always, that any 
tunnel so used for the storage of explosives shall have fire¬ 
proof doors, which must at all times be kept closed and 
locked, except when necessarily opened for the purpose of 
storing or removing explosives therein or therefrom, by per¬ 
sons lawfully entitled to enter the same. The door of such 
tunnel magazine shall at all times have legibly printed thereon 
the words, “Magazine,” “Explosives,” “Dangerous.” 

Sec. 4. Any person violating or failing to comply with 
any of the provisions of sections two and three of this act, shall 
be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, 
shall be punished by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars, 
and not more than one thousand dollars, or by imprisonment 
not exceeding six months, or by both such fine and imprison¬ 
ment. 

Sec. 5. It shall be unlawful to transport, carry or convey, any ex¬ 
plosives between any places within this state, on any vessel, car or other 
vehicle of any description, operated by common carrier, which vessel, car 
or vehicle is carrying- passengers for hire ; rtrovided, that it shall be lawful 
to transport on any such vessel, car or vehicle, small arms ammunition 
in any quantity, and such fuses, torpedoes, rockets or other signal devices, 
as may be essential to promote safety in operation, and properly packed 
and marked samples for laboratory examination, not exceeding a net 
w'eight of one half pound each, and not exceeding twenty samples at one 
time, in a single vessel, car or vehicle, but such samples shall not be 
carried in that part of the vessel, car or vehicle, which is intended for the 
transportation of passengers for hire; provided, further, that nothing in 
this section shall be construed to prevent the transportation of military 
or naval -forces with their accompanying munitions of war on passenger 
equipment vessels, cars or vehicles; provided, further, that the transporta¬ 
tion of explosives on any freight train in this state that carries passengers 
for hire in a car or caboose attached to the rear of such train, shall not 
be held or construed to violate the provisions of this act. 


INDUSTRIAL xVCCIDENT COMMISSION. 


41 


Sec. 6. The railroad commission of this state is hereby empowered to 
make, puhlisli and promulgate such legulations as are not in conflict with 
this act and as in the judgment of said commission may tend to the safe 
packing, loading, storage and transportation of the explosives defined by 
section one of this act. 

Sec. 7. It shall be unlawful to transport, carry or convey liquid nitro¬ 
glycerine, fulminate in bulk, in dry condition, or other like explosive 
between any places within this state, on any vessel, car or vehicle of any 
description, operated by common carrier in the transportation of passen¬ 
gers, or articles of commerce by land or water. 

Sec. 8. Every package containing explosives or other dangerous articles 
when presented to a common carrier for shipment shall have plainly 
marked on the outside thereof, the contents thereon, and it shall be un¬ 
lawful for any person to deliver for transportation to any common carrier 
engaged in commerce by land or water, or to cause to be delivered or to 
carry any explosive or other dangerous article, under any false or deceptive 
marking, description, invoice, shipping order or other declaration, or 
-without informing the agent of such carrier of the true character thereof, 
at, or before the time of such delivery of carriage is made. 

Sec. 9. Any person who wilfully violates or causes to be violated any 
of the foregoing provisions of sections 5, 6, 7, and 8, of this act, shall be 
deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall be 
punished for each offense by fine not exceeding two thousand dollars, 
or by imprisonment not. exceeding eighteen months, or by both such fine 
and imprisonment in the discretion of the court. 

Sec. 10. Every person selling, giving away, or delivering explosives 
within this state, shall keep at all times an accurate journal or book of 
record, in which must be entered from time to time, as it is made, each 
and every sale, delivery, gift, of other disposition made by such person in 
the course of business, or otherwise, of any quantity of such explosive 
substance. Such journal or record book must show in a legible handwrit¬ 
ing, to be entered therein at the time, a complete history of each trans¬ 
action, stating name and quantity of explosives sold, delivered, «glven away, 
or otherwise disposed of; name, place of residence, and business of the 
purchaser or transferee, name of individual to whom delivered, with his 
or her address. Such journal or record book must be kept by the person 
so selling, delivering or otherwise disposing of such explosives, in his or 
their principal office or place of business, at all times subject to the 
inspection and examination of the police authorities of the state, county 
or municipality where same is situated, on proper demand therefor. In 
addition to keeping the record above provided, it shall be unlawful for any 
person to sell, give away, or deliver any explosives within this state, 
without taking from the person to whom such explosives are sold, given 
away or delivered within this state, a statement in writing, showing the 
name and the address of the person to whom such explosives are sold, 
given away or delivered, and The place where and the purpose for which 
such explosives are intended for use, which statement shall be signed by 
the person to whom such explosives are sold, given away or delivered, or 
his agent, and be witnessed by two witnesses, known to the person selling, 
giving away or delivering such explosives, to be residents of the countj^ 
where .such explosives, as shown by such statement, are intended for use, 
who shall certify that the person to whom such explosives are to be sold, 
given away or delivered is personally known to each of said witnesses, 
and that to the best of his knowledge and belief, the explosives are required 
by such person for the uses and purposes set forth in the statement, 
which said statement shall at all times be kept on file in the principal 
office or place of business of the person so selling, giving away or deliv¬ 
ering such explosives, subject to the inspection of the police authorities 
of the state, county or municipality where the same is situated, on proper 
demand made therefor; provided, that nothing in this section shall be 
held to apply to the delivery of explosives to any person or carrier for 
the purpose of ?being transported from a place within this state to any 
other place within this state; and i)rovided, further, that nothing in this 
.section contained .shall apply to interstate commerce. 


42 


TENT ATI VK MINE SAFETY RULES. 


Only one 
day’s suDply 
of explosives 
shall be 
taken Into 
a mine. 


Only author¬ 
ized persons 
are per¬ 
mitted in 
magazines. 


Firearms 
shall not be 
discharged 
near 

magazines. 


Evei-y person selling, giving aw^ay or delivering any explosives without 
complying with all the provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty of 
a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be fined not less than one 
hundred dollars, and not more than two thousand dollars, or by imprison¬ 
ment of not less th.in six months, or by both such tine and imprisonment 
in the discretion of the court. 

In addition to such imprisonment and as cumulative penalty such 
person so offending shall forfeit for each offense, the sum of two hundred 
and tifty dollars, to be recovered in any court of competent jurisdiction, 
and the party instituting the action for such forfeiture shall not be 
entitled to dismiss same, without the consent of the court before which 
the suit has been instituted ; nor shall any judgment recovered be set 
aside, satisfied or discharged save by order of such court, after full pay¬ 
ment into court, and all moneys so collected must be paid to the party 
bringing suit. 

Sec. 11. No explosives in excess of an amount sufficient for 
one day’s operations shall be taken into any mine or under- 
gronnd workings in this state, and any person violating any 
of the provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty of a mis¬ 
demeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall be fined in an 
amount not exceeding five hundred dollars. 

Sec. 12. No person, except a peace officer or a person 
authorized so to do by the owner thereof, or his agent, shall 
enter any explosive manufacturing plant, magazine or ear con¬ 
taining explosives in this state, and any person violating any of 
the provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty of a mis¬ 
demeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall be fined in an 
amount not exceeding one thousand dollars, or by imprison¬ 
ment not exceeding three months, or by both such fine and 
imprisonment. 

Sec. 13. No person shall discharge any firearms within 
five hundred feet of any magazine or of any explosive manu¬ 
facturing plant, and any person wilfully violating any of the 
provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misde¬ 
meanor and fined not exceeding one thousand dollars, or by 
imprisonment not exceeding one year, or by both such fine and 
imprisonment. 

SeO. 14. No person shall wilfully carry any explosive on his person 
within this state in any car, vessel or vehicle that carries passengers for 
hire, or place or carry any explosive while on board any such car, vessel 
or vehicle, in any hand baggage, roll or container, or place any explosive 
in any baggage thereafter checked with any common carrier and any 
person violating any of the provisions of this section shall be deemed 
guilty of a felony and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by impris¬ 
onment in the penitentiary not exceeding two years. 

SEC. 15. Nothing in tliis act contained shall prevent the operation of, 
or modify, alt^f, set aside or supersede the provisions of any municipal 
ordinance respecting the delivery, storing and handling of explosives. 

Sec. 16. Nothing in this act contained shall regulate br apply to any 
shipment'of explosives from a point within this state, consigned to a point 
without this state, over a line or lines of one or more common carriers. 


INDUSTKIAL ACCIDENT COMMISSION. 


43 


Section 45. ■ 

Storage and Use of Explosives. 

(a) No explosive shall be kept at any place within a mine 
where its accidental discharge would cut off the escape of min¬ 
ers working therein. 

{h) All explosives within the mine shall be kept in stout, 
tight boxes with hinged lids and locks, from which the explo¬ 
sives shall be removed only as required for immediate use; 
provided, that explosives stored in underground magazines con¬ 
structed as provided for in the subsequent parts of this section 
need not be kept in such boxes. It shall not be permitted to 
keep such boxes containing explosives near any track or elec¬ 
tric conductors or in any manway, or to permit any grains or 
particles of such explosives to be or remain on the outside or 
about the containers in which such explosives are held. Black 
blasting powder and high explosives shall not be kept in the 
same box. 

(c) Not more than fifty pounds of explosives shall be kept 
in any one level at rmy one time, except that one day’s supply 
of explosives may be stored in an underground magazine, from 
which supplies required for immediate use shall be distrib¬ 
uted to the various working places by an authorized and com¬ 
petent person or persons. Such underground' magazines may 
consist of a separate drive or chamber, the walls of which 
shall be of fireproof material or of wood covered with sheet 
iron. The entrance to such underground magazine shall be 
kept securely locked, except when it has to be entered by the 
person or persons in charge thereof. 

(d) Magazines shall at all times be kept clean and dry and 
free from grit. Before any alterations are made to any part 
thereof, all explosives shall be carefully removed and the 
magazine thoroughly washed out. All tools and instruments 
used in making repairs shall be of wood, copper, brass or other 
soft metal or material. In no case shall nails or screws be 
driven into a magazine or into material that has once formed 
a part of a magazine, and all wooden parts discarded shall be 
burned in a safe place immediately. 

(e) No detonator shall be stored within fifty feet of other 
explosives underground. 

No detonator shall be taken into any magazine containing 
other explosives. 


Explosives 
shall be 
kept ill 
boxes Or ' 
magazines 
when 

underground. 


Magazines 
must he kept 
locked. 


Magazines 
must be 
kept clean 
and dry. 


Caps must 
not be kept 
with powder 
underground. 


44 


TENTATIVE MINE SAFETY KULES. 


ypecinl 

fuse 

require¬ 

ments. 


Thawing 

dynamite. 


No detonator shall be transported with other explosives 
except when made into a primer with such other explosives. 

All primers and capped fuses shall be exploded within 
twenty-four hours after making. 

Detonators shall not be removed from original containers 
except as they are used for capping fuses. 

if) Fuse shall not be stored underground for a longer 
period than seventy-two hours, and the hanging of fuses on 
nails or- other projections, which cause a sharp bend to be 
formed in the fuse, shall be prohibited. 

(g) When supplies of explosives or fuse are removed from 
a rnagazine, those that have been longest in the magazine shall 
be taken first. Packages of explosives shall be removed to a 
safe distance from the magazine before being opened, and no 
such packages shall be opened with any metallic instrument. 

(h) Every mine thawing dynamite or other explosives conr 
taining nitroglycerine shall be provided with a separate place 
for that purpose on the surface, or with a special underground 
chamber, which shall be a separate drift or crosscut, and it 
shall be prohibited to thaw explosives in any other place or 
in any other manner than as provided for in this section. 

(i) Dynamite or other explosives containing nitroglycerine 
shall not be thawed by any means other than a steam bath 
or a hot-water device, or by manure, or by electric current. 
If steam or water be the agent employed, the stove, boiler, 
or other primary source of heat shall not be nearer to the 
thawing room than ten feet. If electric current be the thaw¬ 
ing agent, the current shall not be brought within ten feet 
of the explosives to be thawed, and in no case shall these 
explosives be exposed to a temperature higher than eighty 
degrees P. 

Thawing dynamite or other explosive containing nitro¬ 
glycerine by placing it near a fire or near a steam boiler is 
prohibited. 

Dynamite or other explosive containing nitroglycerine shall 
not be thawed by direct contact with steam. 

(j) Explosives shall not be carried underground on an 
electric locomotive or in a car next to an electric locomotive. 

(k) Explosives shall not be placed or left near live electric 
wires. 

(/) No person shall remove any explosive from a mine 
without the written consent of the superintendent, foreman 
or shift foreman of the mine. 


INDUSTKIAL ACCIDENT COMMISSION. 


45 


(m) Bright red wrappers or wrapping paper shall be used 
on all explosives up in cartridge form for use in mines; 
provided, that whenever, in the opinion of the chief mine 
inspector, it would be more safe to use the common; yellow 
wrappers, |)ermission in writing may be given to do soi This 
provision shall go into effect within six months after the-final 
approval of these rules. 

{71) Fire extinguishers or hydrants and hose shall- be pro¬ 
vided and kept ready for use at all powder magazines and 
underground powder distributing stations. 

( 0 ) Smoking in a powder magazine, at a powder distribut¬ 
ing station, or while handling powder, is strictly forbidden. 

ip) Oils or other combustible substances shall not be kept 
or stored in, or nearer than one hundred feet to, a powder 
magazine or distributing station. 

{q) No explosive that evolves more noxious gases than gela¬ 
tin dynamite evolves shall be used underground. 

Section 46. 

Fuses. 

(а) At any mine, no fuse shall be used that burns faster 
than one foot in thirty seconds or slower than-one foot in fifty^ 
five seconds. 

(б) Notice shall be posted at the entrance of every mine 
stating'the rate of burning of the fuse used in such mine. The 
superintendent shall be responsible for the carrying out of this 
rule. 

(c) The use of oil or grease to waterproof joints in fuse is 
forbidden. 

{d) In capjiing fuse, at least one inch shall be cut from the 
end of each length of fuse to be used in blasting. This will 
prevent damp fuse ends from getting in the cap. 

{e) Only a crimper shall be used for attaching fuse to 
blasting cap. The practice of crimping with knife or teeth 
is forbidden. The mine operator shall furnish and keep in 
accessible places, ready for use, crimpers in good repair. 

(/) It is forbidden to use fuse that has been hammered or 
injured by falling rocks or from any other source. Such 
injury increases the rate of burning. 

(g) In cold weather warm fuse slightly before uncoiling, 
to avoid broken or cracked fuse. 


Special 
wrappers for 
powder used 
in mines 
and 

quarries. 


46 


TENTATIVE MINE SAFETY RULES. 


Bosses to 
have charge 
of blasting. 


Missed holes 
must be 
leported. 


Explosives 
shall not l)e 
extracted 
from missed 
holes. 


Precautions 
for electric 
firing. 


Section 47. 

Blasting. 

(a) B()SS(3S or shot firers shall be in immediate charge of, 
and responsible for blasting within the mine. It is forbidden 
to use anything but wooden tamping rods, with no metal 
parts, in tamping exiilcsives or tamping material in the bore 
holes, and it shall be the duty of the bosses or shot firers to see 
that no iron or steel tools are used for tamping. Detonators, 
when used in firing blasts, shall be of not less strength than 
No. 6, containing one gram of fulniinating composition. It 
shall be the ^d^y^pf the mine foreman to fix the time of all 
blasting and firing. Bosses or shot firers and miners about to 
fire shots shall cause .warnings to be given in every direction, 
and all entrances to the place or places where charges are to be 
fired shall be guarded, so far as possible. 

(h) The number of explosions in every blast, except in cases 
of simultaneous firing, shall be counted by the man firing the 
same, and if the total number of explosions is less than the 
number of charges fired, a report of the discrepancy shall be 
made as the superintendent shall direct. When a blast has 
been fired and it is not certain that all the charges have 
exploded, no person shall enter the place w^here such charges 
were placed within cne hour after the explosion. 

(c) No miner shall be permitted to extract or attempt to 
extract explosives from a bore hole that has once been charged, 
but shall, when possible, put in a new primer and blast again. 
When not possible to do this, a new hole may be drilled, which 
shall not be nearer to the original hole than two feet, and shall 
be pointed at such an angle as to eliminate all danger of its 
meeting or coming closer to the other hole than two feet, 
and such new hole shall be charged with a fresh charge of 
explosives and then detonated; provided, that when the above 
can not be complied with, a hole nearer than two feet may be 
drilled under the direct supervision of the shift boss. 

(d) When electricity is used to fire shots, it shall not be 
permitted for any person knowingly to enter the vicinity of 
the place where such shots have been fired, until the cable from 
the source of electrical energy to the face of the blast shall 
have been disconnected. It shall be the duty of the boss or 
sliot firer to see that all such cables are disconnected immedi¬ 
ately after such firing, and to examine or direct the exami¬ 
nation of such place where shots have been fired before any 
men are permitted to work therein. 


INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT COMMISSION. 


4' 


(c) It shall be the duty of the boss or shot firer to see that 
special precautious are takcui against the shqt-lijring..,gables or 
wires coining into contact with the lighting, power, or other 
circuits, or with any metal pipe lines, ,A]1 portable devices Precautions 
for generating or supplying electricity .for,Lr§Up|l^c>fi^^ing shallj 
when in the mine, be in charge of. a boss or shot firer. No 
person other than a boss or shot firer shall connect the firing 
machine or battery to the shot-firing leads, and such connec¬ 
tion shall not be made until all other steps preparatory to the 
firing of a shot shall have been completed, and the men 
removed to a safe distance. The primly or secondary bat¬ 
teries used for shot firing shall, be proyided with a suitable 
case in which all contacts shall be made or broken, except that 
the binding posts for making connections to the firing leads 
may be outside. These binding posts shall be completely cqvt 
ered with insulating material of a permanent character, such 
as hard rubber, fiber, etc., except at the points where the firing 
leads make connections with the binding posts. Such batr 
teries shall be provided with a detachable plug or key without 
which the detonating circuit can not be closed, or provided with 
one or more safety contact buttons that are well countersunk 
or protected by a non-conducting housing. The plug or key 
shall be detached when not actually, in use for firing a shot, 
and shall not, under any circumstances, pass from the custody 
of the boss or shot firer. 

(/■) Electricity from light, or power circuits shall not be . 
used for firing shots in a mine, except where the electrical con¬ 
nections to such light or power circuits are made within an 
inclosed switch box, which shall be kept securely locked ijnd 
shall be accessible only to the authorized boss or shot firer. 

■ 7 ■ ■ 

Section 48. 

Hoisting. 

■(a)- The superintendent of the mine shall establish for 
each shaft, rates of speed for the cages, skips, buckets,- or other 
conveyances that shall not be exceeded in the hoisting or 
lowering of men, and he shall post a notice of such limitation 
in a conspicuous place near each hoisting engine. ■ 

(b) The superintendent of the mine shall determine the 
maximum number of men that in his judgment may safely 
ride on each cage, skip, bucket, or other conveyance'used in 
the mine under his supervision, and shall post in a conspicuous 
place near each shaft, a notice stating the maximum number of 


48 


TENTATIVE MINE SAFETY RULES. 


eager shall 
be employed. 


Speed of 
hoisting 
with bucket 
limited. 


Use of 
wooden rails 
in inclined 
shafts 
forbidden. 

Special pre¬ 
cautions for 
inclined 
shafts. 


persons so permitted to ride and forbidding the carrying of 
any greater nnmlier. At the beginning of each shift, the 
mine foreman or shift boss, or some other responsible person 
appointed by the superintendent, shall be stationed on the 
loading platform at the top of the shaft and shall prevent any 
greater number of men than that permitted by order of the 
superintendent to enter upon or into any cage, skip, bucket, 
or other conveyance, and he shall remain at this station until the 
last man about to descend the shaft shall have entered the 
cage, skip, bucket, or other conveyance. At the end of 
the shift the man in charge of work on each level of the mine 
from which men are to be hoisted shall post himself in the 
station of the shaft at that level and shall prevent any greater 
number of men than the maximum permitted by the superin¬ 
tendent of the mine to enter upon or into any cage, skip, 
bucket, or other conveyance and shall remain in this station 
until the last man to ascend shall have entered upon or into 
the cage, skip, bucket, or other conveyance. 

(c) In every mine operated on two or more levels in which 
50 or more men are employed underground, and in which the 
men to the number of 50 are hoisted or lowered by cage or 
other conveyance, other than a bucket, such cage or other con¬ 
veyance shall be operated under the charge of a person 
appointed as conductor, and no person other than this con¬ 
ductor shall give any signal for the movement of the cage, 
skip, or conveyance. The aforesaid conductor shall have 
authority to prevent crowding or scuffling of men in the 
vicinity of the shaft. 

{d) In hoisting or lowering men with a bucket, the speed, 
except in the case of apprehended danger, shall not exceed 
two hundred feet per minute when the bucket is within one 
hundred feet of the surface or bottom, or five hundred feet 
per minute in any other part of the shaft. 

(c) In inclined shafts where men are hoisted, the use of 
wooden rails or the use of strap iron on wooden stringers to 
form skip tracks is forbidden. 

(/) In inclined shafts where the dip exceeds 35 degrees 
from the horizontal and men are hoisted in skips, the space 
between the hoisting compartments at each level station shall 
be so closed by lining boards that it shall be impossible for 
men to walk or fall into the shafts, or an iron bar (of approxi¬ 
mately ^-inch diameter and of a length equal to at least twice 
the distance between the wall plates) shall be so placed as to 


INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT COMMISSION. 


49 


give men an easy and secure overhead hand liold while walking 
on the divider. 

(g) No open hook shall be used with a bucket, cage or skip 
in hoisting, but some approved form of safety hook or shackle 
hook shall be used. 

(/< ) The superintendent of the mine ^hall be responsible for 
tlie enforcement of the provisions of this section. 

Section 49. 

Hoisting Engineers. 

It shall be the duty of every superintendent of every mine 
having a hoisting engine, to appoint and designate one or more 
men, who shall be able to speak and read the English language 
readily, to be known as hoisting engineers. At all shafts where 
men are hoisted or lowered, such hoisting engineers shall be 
not less than tv^enty-one years of a^e, and at shafts where 
men are not so hoisted or lowered, they shall be not less than 
eighteen years of age. It shall be the duty of every superin¬ 
tendent to appoint as hoisting engineers men who are familiar 
with the details and working of a hoisting engine, and except 
in cases of emergency, to permit no others than such duly 
appointed hoisting engineers to run such engine or hoisting 
machinery; except that, by and with the consent of the super¬ 
intendent, learners may be taught the operation of the hoist¬ 
ing engine at such times and under such restrictions as the 
superintendent may determine to be free of risk to life and 
limb. 


Section 50. 

Duties of Hoisting Engineer. 

The following rules -shall be observed by every hoisting 
engineer employed within this state: 

(1) It shall be the duty of every hoisting engineer to keep 
a careful watch over his engine and over all machinery under 
his charge. 

(2) He shall at all times be in immediate charge of his 
engine, and shall not at any time delegate any of his duties 
to any other person, except to learners duly designated as 
provided in these rules; provided, however, that nothing 
herein contained shall be construed to prevent any hoisting 
engineer from delegating to or sharing his duties with any 
other duly appointed hoisting engineer, or turning over the 


Competent 
hoisting 
engineers 
shall be 
appointed. 


50 


TENTATIVE MINE SAFETY RULES. 


engine and machinery in his charge to any otlier such engineer 
at the end of liis shift. 

(3) He shall familiarize himself with and use all signal 
codes for hoisting and lowering as directed to be used in 
these rules. 

(4) He shall not run his engine unless the same is properly 
provided with brakes, indicators, or distance marks on hoist¬ 
ing ropes or cables, as provided in these rules. 

(5) It shall be the duty of the hoisting engineer to exclude 
every person from his engine room, excepting any person 
or persons whose duties require their presence therein, and 
visitors authorized by the superintendent of the mine. 

(6) He shall hold no conversation with any one while his 
engine is in motion, or while attending to signals. 

(7) He shall run his engine with extreme caution when¬ 
ever men are being hoisted or lowered. 

(8) He shall not hoist men out of, or lower men into, any 
mine or shaft, at a speed greater than the rate posted in the 
engine room by the superintendent of the mine. 

(9) He shall inspect all hoisting machinery and safety 
appliances connected therewith, and all ropes and hoisting 
apparatus, when and as directed by the mine superintendent, 
and shall report to him any defects found therein. 

(10) After any stoppage of hoisting for repairs or for any 
other purpose, exceeding in duration twenty-four hours, he 
shall run a bucket, skip, cage, or other conveyance, on which 
no men shall ride, except for purposes of inspection, up and 
down the working part of the shaft at least once, and shall 
not permit the bucket, skip, cage, or other conveyance to be 
used for hoisting or lowering men, until the hoisting machinery 
and shaft shall have been found to be in safe condition. 

(11) He shall land-the bucket, skip, cage, or other convey¬ 
ance either at the top or at the bottom of the shaft before 
leaving his engine or turning over the charge of the engine 
to his relief at change of shift, or at any other time. 

(12) He shall familiarize himself with and carry out the 
requirements of all rules pertaining to the discharge of his 
duties. 

(13) The superintendent shall post a copy of this section 
in a conspicuous place on the door of the engine house. 

(14) Whenever men are working in a place to which they 
have been lowered by mechanical power and are dependent 
on . said mechanical power for quick egress, an engineer must 


INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT COMMISSION. 


51 


remain within hearing of the telephone and signal gongs 
while the aforesaid men remain in their working places. 

(15) Hoisting engineers shall not permit the oilers to oil 
the engine while in motion, and shall exercise every care for 
the oilers’ safety. 


Section 51 . 

Safeguards Against Overwinding. 

The sheave carrying the hoisting rope shall be placed upon T 
a headframe so designed as to resist a pull in the direction of g^en^tn 
the hoisting engine greater than the breaking stress of the 
hoisting rope employed. 

Some provision against overwinding, approved by the mine 
inspector, shall be installed whenever the same will safeguard 
life. 

The operator of a' mine employing more than fifty nien 
underground shall install in every shaft over five hundred g/ianlfe”*®* 
feet deep through which more than fifty men are hoisted 
daily by cage, skip or man car, a device which shall give a 
warning signal in the engine room whenever the cage or skip 
in ascending reaches a point one hundred feet below the collar 
of the shaft. This device shall be independent of the usual 
indicator or anj^ other device directly connected with the hoist¬ 
ing engine. The warning signal required by the terms of this 
section need not be installed if the hoisting engine be equipped 
with a device that will automatically stop the engine if the 
cage, skip or man car passes a certain point; and provided, ^sed. 
further, that such automatic stopping device be kept con¬ 
stantly in good working order. 

Section 52 . 

Hoisting Ropes. 

(a) No operator of any mine shall use any rope or cable 
for hoisting or lowering men when such hoisting or lowering are required, 
is done by any means other than human or animal power, 
unless such rope or cable shall be composed of metal wires, 
with a factor of safety determined as hereinafter set forth; 
provided, however, that such metal wires may be laid around 
a hemp center. 

(5) The factor of safety of all such ropes or cables shall 
in no case be less than five, and shall be calculated by dividing 
the breaking strength of the rope as given in the manufac- 


52 


TENTATIVE MINE SAFETY RULES. 


Use of small 
sheaves is 
forbidden. 


Worn cabies 
shall be 
promptly 
discarded. 


Hoisting 
cables shall 
be regularly 
inspected. 


Two turns 
of hoisting 
rope mu.st 
always re¬ 
main on 
drum. 


Hoisting 
ropes must 
be dressed 
each month. 


Bonneted 
cages are re¬ 
quired in ver¬ 
tical shafts. 


turers’ published tables, by the sum of the maximum load to 
be hoisted, plus the total weight of the rope in the shaft when 
fully let out. 

(c) No head or angle sheave of a diameter less than seventy- 
two times the diameter of the rope shall be used when the 
included angle made by such rope at the sheave is ninety 
degrees or less. 

{d) There shall not be used any rope or cable for the 
raising or lowering of men, either when the number of breaks 
in any running foot of said rope exceeds ten per cent of the 
total number of wires composing the rope, or when the wires 
on the crown of the strands are worn down to less than sixty 
per cent of their original area, or when the superficial inspec¬ 
tion provided for in this section shows marked signs of corro¬ 
sion. In all shafts containing acid waters, some acid-free 
preservative shall be regularly used upon the ropes. 

{e) All ropes used for hoisting or lowering men shall be 
thoroughly inspected once in every week by some competent 
person designated for that purpose by the superintendent. If 
upon any inspection, such hoisting rope or cable shall be found 
to be below the requirements set forth in this section, it shall 
be disused for such purpose forthwith. 

(/) Every rope used for hoisting or lowering men shall be 
securely fastened to its drum or reel, and when in use shall 
never be fully unwound; at least two full turns shall remain 
always on the drum or reel. The end of the rope attached 
to the conveyance in the shaft shall either be securely fastened 
within a tapered socket or else it shall be bound around an 
oval thimble and then fastened to itself by splicing or by 
the use of three or more clamps. 

{g) Every rope used for hoisting or lowering men shall be 
treated with oil or some suitable rope compound at least once 
every month. Such compound shall be chemically neutral and 
shall be of such consistency as to penetrate the strand and 
not merely cover the surface of the rope. 

Section 53 . 

Cages for Hoisting Men. 

{a) No operator of any mine shall permit the hoisting or 
lowering of men through a vertical shaft deeper than three 
hundred feet, unless an iron-bonneted safety cage be used for 
the hoisting and lowering of such men, but this provision shall 
not apply to shafts in process of sinking. 


INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT COMMISSION. 


53 


(h) It shall be the duty of the operator to have all cages in 
which men are hoisted and lowered, used in such shafts over 
three hundred feet deep, constructed as follows: The bonnet 
shall be of two steel plates three-sixteenths of an inch in thick- 
ness, sloping toward each side, and so arranged that they may 
be readily pushed upward to afford egress to persons therein, 
and such bonnet shall cover the top of the cage in such man¬ 
ner as to protect persons on the cage from objects falling in the 
shaft. The cage shall be provided with sheet iron or steel 
side casing not less than one-sixteenth of an inch thick, or with 
a netting composed of wire not less than one-eighth of an inch 
in diameter and not less than five feet in height, and with gates 
of not less than five feet in height, and made of such materials 
as specified for the side casing, either hung on hinges or work¬ 
ing in slides. Every cage shall have overhead bars of such 
.arrangement as to give every man on the cage an easy and 
secure handhold. Every cage shall be provided with a safety 
catch of sufficient strength to hold the cage or skip with its 
maximum load at any point in the shaft in the event that the 
I misting cable should break. 

(c) Where practicable, emergency chains shall be used from Einergeiuy 

^ I > o c' ^ chains are 

the cable to the cage or skip so that in the event of the breaking required, 
of the king bolt or device pin, the chains will prevent the cage 
falling. 

(d) The conductor, cage tender, or cage rider required by 
the terms of section 48 (c) shall, when men are being hoisted 
and lowered, see that the gates of the cage are closed before 
giving the signal to move the cage and shall be responsible for 
their closing. 


(e) No person shall be permitted to ride upon or below any Sdde'^witii 
cage, car, skip or bucket that is loaded with tools, timber, pow- 
der or other material, except for the purpose of assisting in 
passing such material through a shaft or incline, and then 
only after a special signal has been given. 

(/) When using the cage, skip, or bucket, all signals shall {nsignlS 
be given while standing on the same, and not while standing 
on the station. 

(g) To release the cage, skip, or bucket the signal shall not 
be given while standing upon the same. 


54 


TENTATIVE MINE SAFETY IIULES. 


Safety 
catches 
and sheave 
vvlieeLs must 
he regularly 
oiled and 
tested. 


Precaution 
for lowering 
when shaft 
sinking. 


Men must he 
protected by 
bulkheads. 


Section 54. 

Oiling Cage Safety Catehes, Etc. 

The safety catches of cages shall be kept well oiled and in 
good working order; they shall be tested at least once each 
two weeks, by tying up cage with hemp rope, lowering a few 
feet of hoisting cable on top of cage, then cutting the hemp 
rope; provided, that any other system of testing, which is 
efiually effective may be used after securing the approval in 
writing of the chief inspector. 

Sheave wheels shall be daify inspected and properly oiled. 

Section 55. 

Hoisting While Sinking Shaft. 

In no case shall a cage, skip, bucket, or other vehicle be 
lowered directly to the bottom of the shaft when men are 
working there, but such cage, skip, bucket, or other vehicle 
shall be stopped at least fifteen feet above the bottom of such 
shaft, until the signal to lower farther sliall have been given 
to the hoisting engineer by one of the men at the bottom of 
the shaft. 


Section 56. 

Deepening Shaft—Protection. 

During shaft-sinking operations in shafts steeper than thirty- 
five degrees from the horizontal, no other work in any other 
place in the shaft shall be executed, nor shall any material or 
tools be hoisted or lowered from or to any other place in the 
shaft while men are at work in the bottom of the shaft, unless 
the men so at work be protected from the danger of falling 
material by a securely constructed covering, sufficient closable 
openings being left for the passage of men and the bucket or 
other conveyance used in the sinking operations. 

Section 57. 

Telephone System in Mines. 

An act providing for the estahlishment and maintenance of a 
telephone system in mines and prescribing a penalty for 
the violation thereof. 

(Approved June 13, 1913.) 

The people of the State of California do enact as follows: 

Section 1. In all mines operated and worked in this state 
where a depth of more than five hundred feet underground 


INDUSTRIAL AOlRDUNt COMMfSSION. 


lias been reached a telephone system must he established, Telephones 

. . are required 

equipped and maintanied by tlie owners or lessees thereof with in mines, 
stations at each working level below the depth aforesaid, com¬ 
municating with a station thereof on the surface of any such 
mine. 

Sec. 2. The failure or refusal of any owner or lessee to 
install or maintain such telephone system shall be deemed 
guilty of misdemeanor and punished accordingly. 

Section 58. 

Signals. 

Every shaft, if exceeding fifty feet in depth, shall he pro- 
vided with an efficient means of interchanging distinct 
definite signals between the top of the shaft and the lowest 
level and the various intermediate levels from which hoisting 
is being done. 

Special care shall he taken to keep the signaling apparatus 
in good order, and all proper precautions shall be taken to 
prevent electric signal and telephone wires from coming into 
contact with other electric conductors, whether insulated or not. 

Section 59. 

California Mine Bell Signals. 

An act to establish a uniform system of mine bell signals, to 
be used in all the mines operated in the State of Califor¬ 
nia, and for the protection of miners. 

(Approved March 8„ 1893.) 

Section 1. Every person, company, corporation, or indi¬ 
vidual, operating any mine within the State of California- 
gold, silver, copper, lead, coal, or any other metal or sub¬ 
stance—where it is necessary to use signals by means of bell 
or otherwise, for shafts, inclines, drifts, crosscuts, tunnels, 
and underground workings, shall, after the passage of this 
bill, adopt, use, and put in force the following system or code 
of mine bell signals, as follows: 

1 bell, to hoist. (See Rule 2.) 

1 bell, to stop if in motion. 

2 bells, to lower. (See Rule 2.) 

3 bells, man to be hoisted; run slow. (See Rule 2.) 

4 bells, start pump if not running, or stop pump if run¬ 
ning. 


56 


TENTATIVE MINE SAFETY RULES. 


5 bells, send down tools. (See Ride 4.) 

1—3 bells, start or stoj) air compressor. 

6 bells, send down timbers. (See Rule 4.) 

7 bells, accident; move bucket or cage by verlial orders only. 

1— 4 bells, foreman wanted. 

2— 1—^1 bells, done hoisting until called. 

2—1—2 bells, done hoisting for the day. 

2— 2—2 bells, change buckets from ore to water, or vice 
versa. 

3— 2—1 bells, ready to shoot in the shaft. (See Rule 3.) 

Engineer’s signal, that he is ready to hoist, is to raise the 

bucket or cage two feet and lower it again. (See Rule 3.) 

Levels shall be designated and inserted in notice hereinafter 
mentioned. (See Rule 5.) 

Sec. 2. For the purpose of enforcing and properly under¬ 
standing the above code of signals, the following rules are 
hereby established: 

Rule 1. In giving signals make strokes on bell at regular 
intervals. The bar (—) must take the same time as for one 
stroke of the bell, and no more. If timber, tools, the foreman, 
bucket or cage are wanted to stop at any level in the mine, 
signal by number of strokes on the bell, number of the level 
first before giving the signal for timber, tools, etc. Time 
between signals to be double bars (-). Examples; 

6-5 would mean stop at sixth level with tools. 

4-1 — 1 — 1-1, would mean to stop at fourth 

level, man on, hoist. 

2-1 — 4 would mean stop at second level with foreman. 

Rule 2. No person must get off or on the bucket or cage 
while the same is in motion. When men are to be hoisted give 
the signal for men. Men must then get on bucket or cage, then 
give the signal to hoist. Bell cord must be in reach of man on 
bucket or cage at stations. 

Rule 3. After signal Ready to shoot in shaft,” engineer 
must give his signal when he is ready to hoist. Miners must 
then give the signal of '‘Men to be hoisted,” then "spit fuse,” 
get into the bucket, and give the signal to hoist. 

Rule 4. All timbers, tools, etc., "longer than the depth of 
the bucket,” to be hoisted or lowered, must be securely lashed 
at the upper end to the cable. Miners must know they will 
ride up or down the shaft without catching on rocks or timbers 
and be thrown out. 


INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT COMMISSION. 


57 


Rule 5. The foreman will see that one printed sheet of 
these signals and rules for each level, and one for the engine 
room, are attached to a board not less than twelve inches wide 
by thirty-six inches long, and securely fasten the board up 
where signals can be easily read at the places above stated. 

Rule 6. The above signals and rules must be obeyed. Any 
violation will be sufficient grounds for discharging the party 
or parties so doing. No person, company, corporation, or 
individuals operating any mine within the State of California, 
shall be responsible for accidents that may happen to men 
disobeying the above rules and signals. Said notice and rules 
shall be signed by the person or superintendent having charge 
of the mine, who shall designate the name of the corporation 
or the owner of the mine. 

Sec. 3. Any person or company failing to carry out any of 
the provisions of this act shall be responsible for all damages 
arising to or incurred by any person working in said mine 
during the time of such failure. 

Sec. 4. This act shall take effect immediately. 

Section 60. 

Special Signal Boards. 

In addition to posting the full signal code there shall be 
placed at each station a sign board on which shall be dis¬ 
played the designation of the station, and where station signals 
are used, the bell signal corresponding. 


Special 

signal 

boards 

required at 

shaft 

stations. 


58 


TENTATTVK :\rrNE SAFETY -RULES. 


ELECTRICAL RULES. 

Section 61. 

Definitions. 

Potential .—The terms and '‘voltage” are syn¬ 

onymous and mean electrical pressure. 

Difference of potential. — The expression ‘ ‘ difference of 
potential” means the difference of electrical pressure existing 
between any two points of an electrical system or between any 
point of such a system and the earth as determined by a volt 
meter. 

Potential of a circuit .—^^The potential or voltage of a circuit, 
machine, or any piece of electrical apparatus is the potential 
normally existing between the conductors of such circuit or 
the terminals of such machine or apparatus. 

Where the conditions of the supply of electricity are such 
that the difference of potential between any two points of the 
circuit can not exceed three hundred volts, the supply shall 
he deemed a low^-voltage supply. 

Where the conditions of the supply of electricity are such 
that the difference of potential between any two points of the 
circuit may at any time exceed three hundred volts, but can 
not exceed six hundred and fifty volts, the supply shall be 
deemed a medium-voltage supply. 

Where the conditions of the supply of electricity are such 
that the difference of potential between any two points of the 
circuit may .at any time exceed six hundred and fifty volts, 
the supply shall be deemed a high-voltage supply. 

Grounding .—Grounding any part of an electrical system 
shall consist in so connecting such part to the earth that there 
shall be no material difference of potential between such part 
and the earth. 

Underground station .—The term ''underground station” as 
used herein shall mean any place where electrical machinery 
is permanently installed in the mine. 

Carrying capacity .—The term "carrying capacity” shall be 
taken to mean the carrying capacity of a given wire as pre¬ 
scribed for various insulated wires in the National Electric 
Code, published by the National Board of Fire Underwriters. 

Sivitchboards .—The term "switchboard” shall not include 
switch panels of thirty inches or less in width. 


1NJ)USTU1AI. ACCIDENT COMMISSION. 


59 


Section 62. 

Care of Equipment and Practices. 

(1) No person working in or about a mine shall wilfully 
cause another person to receive an electric shock. 

(2) No person shall handle electric wires or conductors, or 
electrical apparatus of any kind, or enter an electrical machine 
room or underground station without authority. 

(3) No person shall be allowed to work on or with elec¬ 
trically driven apparatus, unless he shall have been previously 
instructed in the performance of his duties by a competent 
person and shall have been duly authorized by the mine super¬ 
intendent or mine foreman. 

(4) No repairing of any electrical apparatus shall be done 
when the current is on, except by an electrician in case of 
apparatus of less than one hundred and fifteen volts. 

(5) Electric lights underground shall not be installed save 
by a competent person to be designated or appointed by the 
mine foreman. 

(6) Instructions for the resuscitation of persons suffering 
from electric shock shall be posted at the entrance to the mine, 
in every generating station or substation, and in all under¬ 
ground electric stations. All employees working with elec¬ 
trical apparatus shall be required by the mine superintendent 
to familiarize themselves with these instructions, and shall 
be capable of applying them before entering upon such work. 

(7) No person shall wilfully damage or without proper 
authority shall alter or make connections to any electrical lines 
or conductors, machines, apparatus, or parts thereof, used in 
connection with the supply or use of electricity. 

Section 63. 

Grounding. 

(1) The frames and bed plate.s of generators, transformers, 
compensators, rheostats, and motors, installed underground 
shall be effectively^ grounded. All metallic coverings, armor¬ 
ing of cables, other than trailing cables, and the neutral wire 
of three-wire systems shall also be so grounded. 

Voltage. 

(2) No higher voltage than medium voltage shall be used 
underground, except for transmission or for application to 
transformers, motors, or other apparatus in which the whole 
of the high-voltage circuit is stationary. 


Inexpe¬ 
rienced 
persons shall 
not work 
with 

electricity. 


Electricians 
shall be in¬ 
structed in 
methods of 
resuscitation. 


Frames of 

underground 

electrical 

apparatus 

shall be 

grounded. 


Use of high 

voltages 

restricle<l. 


GO 


TENTATIVE MINE SAFETY KULES. 


Giouiid 
detectors 
required on 
certain 
circuits. 


Specifica¬ 
tions for 
switch and 
fuse boards. 


Fire 

protection 
required 
in electrical 
stations. 


Map of 

underground 

electrical 

equipment 

required. 


Ground Detectors. 

(3) All circuits leaving the switchboard in underground 
stations, and all circuits leaving the switchboard upon the 
surface and leading underground, shall, if circuits are com¬ 
pletely insulated from the earth, be equipped with earth or 
fault detectors properly installed. Such detectors shall be 
inspected daily by a competent person, who shall report 
promptly to the superintendent of the mine the occurrence 
of any ground. 

Sv^itchboards. 

(4) Main and distribution switch and fuse boards shall 
be made of noncombustible, nonabsorbent, insulating material, 
which shall be free from metallic veins. The board shall be 
mounted upon supporting frameworks of iron or steel and 
fixed in a dry place. Tf insulated conductors are used in 
the wiring of the board, the insulation of such conductors shall 
be flame-proof. 

Danger Signals. 

(5) All high-voltage machines, apparatus, and lines shall 
be marked by the use of the word ‘‘danger” at frequent 
intervals. 

Fire Buckets. 

(6) Buckets filled with clean, dry sand shall be kept in all 
underground electrical stations ready for immediate use in 
extinguishing fires. The minimum quantity of sand thus 
stored in any one station shall be two cubic feet, provided 
that a Pyrene extinguisher, or equal, may be kept instead of 
the sand. 

Emergency Lights. 

(7) Lamps or other proper lights shall be kept ready for 
use in all underground stations where a failure of electric 
light is likely to cause danger. 

Plan of Electric System. 

(8) The operator of every mine where electrical equipment 
is installed underground shall make or cause to be made by a 
competent person, a clear and accurate plan, on a scale of 
not more than two hundred feet to the inch, to be kept at 
the mine, showing the position of all stationary electrical 
apparatus in connection with the mine in excess of twenty- 
five kilowatts or medium voltage, including fixed cables. 


INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT COMMISSION. 


61 


conductors, lights, switches, and trolley lines. The capacity 
in horsepower of each motor and in kilowatts of each generator 
or transformer shall be shown on such plan, and the nature of 
its duty. This plan shall be corrected and be brought up to 
date at intervals of not exceeding three months, and shall 
at all times be subject to examination by the chief inspector 
or deputy. 

Report of Defective System. 

(9) A report shall be promptly made to the mine superin- SSS 
tendent or mine foreman of every breakdown of any part of 

the electrical equipment in the mine, or of damage or injury 
thereto, or of any overheating, or of the appearance of sparks 
or ares outside of the inclosing casings, or when any part 
of the equipment not a part of the electrical circuit becomes 
alive. It shall be the duty of the person first observing such 
breakdown, injury, damage, sparking, arcing or the fact 
that some part of the equipment, not so supposed to be, is 
alive, to make such report oir,tOjqommunicat,e such fact to the 
person in charge of the equipment in question, who shall 
thereupon make such report as prescribed. 

Notice of Installation. 

(10) Whenever any electrical installation of medium or PreiiminaiT 

^ ^ . . . . ,, report of 

high voltage in excess of twenty-five kilowatts is originally jarp instai- 
introduced into any mine, notice thereof in writing, with plans be made, 
and specifications, shall be sent to the chief mine inspector one 
week before the date that such installation is to be begun. 

Section 64. 

Underground Stations and Transformer Rooms. 

(1) Sivitchhoards.—AW switches, circuit breakers, rheostats, 
fuses, and instruments used in connection with underground j" 
motor generators, rotary converters, transformers, and motors, 
shall be mounted on standard bases of noncombustible and 
insulating material, but in no case shall primary instruments 
be used. This provision shall not apply to compensators for 
induction motors. 

(2) Passageways .—A passageway not less than three feet in 
width shall be maintained in front of all switchboards installed 
underground, and any passageway behind the switchboard 
sliall be of like width where there are connections at the back 
of such board; provided, however, that in the case of high- 


62 


TENTATIVE .MINE SAFETY KULES. 


Space back 
of high 
voltage 
switch¬ 
boards shall 
be kept 
locked. 


Switches 
and auto¬ 
matic cir¬ 
cuit breakers 
are required 
near trans¬ 
formers. 


voltage boards such passageways shall not he less than four 
feet in width. 

(3) Space hack of switchboards .—The space at the back of 
switchboards shall be accessible from each end, and shall be 
kept locked up in case of high-voltage boards, but no lock shall 
be used that will not permit the door being opened from the 
inside without the use of a key; furthermore, in no case shall 
this space be used as a change room, wardrobe or for the 
storage of material. Noncombustible flooring only shall be 
used at the front and back of high-voltage boards, and insulat¬ 
ing mats shall be provided in front and back of all boards, 
whatever the voltage. 

(4) Conductors crossing passageway. —No conductor shall 
cross a passageway at the back of a switchboard except below 
the floor, or at a height of not less than seven feet above the 
level of the floor. 

(5) Live metal tvork on switchboards. —No live metal work 
shall be placed on the front of high-voltage switchboards 
within seven feet of the floor. 

(6) Protection of terminals. —All exposed terminals on 
underground machines shall be protected with properly de¬ 
signed insulating covers of suitable material, or with metal 
covers connected to earth. 

(7) Transformer rooms. —Transformer rooms shall be of 
fireproof construction, and if of conductive material shall be 
effectively grounded. 

(8) Circuits entering or leaving all transformers .—Circuits 
leaving a transformer shall be protected by a switch and an 
automatic circuit breaker to interrupt current, but fuses may 
be su})stituted for the circuit breakers in the case of lighting 
circuits, and in the case of power circuits transmitting twenty- 
five kilowatts or less. Disconnecting switches shall be placed 
in the primary circuit ahead of the transformers, but in no 
case shall these disconnecting switches be opened or closed 
under load. 


Section 65. 

TRANSMISSION LINES AND CABLES. 
High-voltage Wires. 

(1) All high-voltage wires used underground shall be in 
the form of insulated lead-covered cables, which shall be 


INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT COMMISSION. 


63 


armored or effectively protected against abrasion, but tlie 
armor shall be electrically continuous tlirougbout, and shall 
be effectively grounded. 

Support of Cables and Wires. 

(2) All underground cables and wires, unless provided with 
grounded metallic covering, shall be supported by efficient 
insulators. The conductors connecting lamps to the power 
supply shall in all cases be insulated. 

(3) Cables and wires unprovided with metallic coverings 
shall not be fixed to walls or timbers by means of uninsulated 
fastenings. 

Overhead Lines Above Ground. 

(4) Overhead transmission lines between the generating 
station or substation and the mine entrance, shall be supported 
upon insulators, which shall be adequate in quality, size, and 
design for the voltage transmitted. Where such line is more 
than five hundred feet in length, lightning arresters shall be 
installed in connection therewith at the generating station 
and at the entrance to the mine. Such line shall be maintained 
not less than fourteen feet above the ground at the lowest 
point, except at the point of entrance to the mine. 

Buried Cables. 

(5) Buried cables shall be continuously insulated. 

Protection of Circuits Leading Underground. 

(6) Every completely insulated feeder circuit in excess of 
twenty-four kilowatt capacity leading underground, where the 
supply does not excee<l the limits of a medium voltage supply, 
shall be provided a])Ove ground with a switch and an auto¬ 
matic overload circuit breaker. In the case of ground-return 
direct current circuits, a switch and current breaker shall be 
installed in the ungrounded side of the circuit, but may bo 
omitted from the return side. Fuses may be substituted for 
circuit breakers in circuits transmitting twenty-five kilowatts 
or less. 

(7) Every high-voltage alternating-current feeder circuit 
leading underground shall be provided above ground with an 
oil break switch on each pole, and every such switch shall 
be equipped with an automatic overload trip. 


64 


TENTATIVE MINE SAFETY RULES. 


Special 
supports 
are reauired 
for power 
cables In 
shafts. 


Branch Circuits. 

(8) Every branch circuit shall be provided with a switch 
of ample carrying capacity, on each pole, within fifty feet of 
the point where it leaves the main circuit. 

Lighting Circuits. 

(9) Wires for all lighting circuits shall be covered with an 
insulation adequate for the voltage of the circuit, and, unless 
encased in pipes or other metallic covering, shall be strung 
on porcelain or glass insulators. Separate uncased wires shall 
be kept at least three inches apart, except where they enter 
the fittings. Metallic casings, if used, shall be efficiently 
grounded. 

Underground Trolley. 

(10) Trolley wires shall be installed as far to one side of 
underground workings as is practicable, and shall be securely 
supported upon hangers efficiently insulated, and placed at 
such intervals that the sag between points of support shall 
not exceed three inches. 

Protection of Trolley Wires. 

(11) At all places where men are required to work or pass 
regularly under trolley or other bare power wires, which are 
placed less than eight and one half feet above top of rail, a 
suitable protection shall be provided, which may consist of 
channeling the roof, or of placing boards along the wire, which 
shall extend three inches below it, or in the use of any other 
device that will afford ample protection. All such places shall 
be well lighted with electric lamps. 

(12) All wires, except telephone, shot-firing and signal 
wires shall be on the same side of the working as the trolley 
wire. 

Power Wires and Cables in Shafts. 

(13) In all shafts, the angle of inclination of which is above 
forty-five degrees from the horizontal, and in all hoisting 
shafts or manway compartments, all power wires and cables 
shall be highly insulated and substantially fixed in position. 
All shaft cables shall be supported on insulators that can not 
cause abrasion of the covering or insulation, so spaced that 
no part of the cable shall be under a tension greater than one 
fourth of its ultimate strength. The cable shall be held in 
position at points between the insulators by grips or cleats 
that can not cause abrasion of the covering or insulation. 


INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT COMMISSION. 


65 


Where the ca])les are not completely boxed in and protected 
from falling material, space shall he left between them and 
the side of the shaft so that they may yield and lessen a blow 
from falling material. 

Cables in Main Roads. 

(14) Where the cables or feed wires in main roads can not 
be kept at least twelve inches from any part of the mine car 
or locomotive, they shall be specially protected by proper 
guards. 

Protection of Cables During Blasting. 

(15) Cables shall be temporarily protected against damage 
at any point where workings are being repaired or where 
blasting is being carried on. 

Cables Entering Fittings. 

(16) The exposed ends of cables where they enter fittings 
of any description shall be so protected and finished off, that 
moisture can not enter the cable, or the insulating material 
leak out, if of an oily or viscous nature. 

(17) Where unarmored cables or wires pass through metal 
frames or into boxes or motor casings, the holes shall be sub¬ 
stantially lined with insulating bushings. 

Joints in Conductors. 

(18) All joints in conductors shall be mechanically and 
electrically efficient, and shall be soldered wherever necessary. 
All joints in insulated wire shall, after the joint is complete, 
be re-insulated to the same extent as the remainder of the 
wire. 

Joints in Cables. 

(19) Where cables are joined, suitable junction boxes shall 
be used, or the joints shall be soldered, and the insulation, 
armoring, or lead covering replaced in as good condition as it 
was originally. 

Section 66. 

Fuses, Circuit Breakers, and Switches. 

(1) Fuses and automatic circuit breakers shall be con- 
.structed so as effectually to interrupt the current when a 
short circuit occurs or when the current through them exceeds 
a predetermined value. No open type or link fuses shall be 
used. 


66 


TEXT ATT VE MINE SAFETY TTTILES. 


(2) All points at wliic'h a ('irouit has to be made or broken, 
shall be provided with proper switches, which shall be so 
installed that they can not be cIosctI by gravity. 

(3) Fuses shall be stamped or marked, or shall have a label 
attached, indicating the maximum current that they are 
intended to carry. Fuses shall be adjusted or replaced only by 
an authorized and competent person. 

(4) The capacity of fuses used to protect feeders shall not 
exceed the current capacity of the feeder by more than 
twenty-five per cent. 

(5) All switches, circuit breakers, and fuses shall have 
noncombustible bases. 

Section 67. 

Stationary Motors. 

Protection .—Stationary motors, underground, shall be pro¬ 
tected by a fuse on each pole, or by a circuit-breaking device, 
and by switches arranged to cut off entirely the power from the 
motor. These devices shall be installed in a convenient position 
near the motor. 


Section 68. 

Electric Lighting. 

(1) Lamp sockets .—The exterior of the sockets of all fixed 
incandescent lamps shall be entirely nonmetallic. 

(2) Flexible lamp cord. —The use of flexible lamp cord for 
lighting connections is prohibited, except for portable incan¬ 
descent lights to be used in connection with the inspection and 
repair of machinery and eciuipment, and in that case the 
cord shall be specially insulated and armored. Such portable 
lights shall be protected by a wire cage large enough to inclose 
both lamp and socket and shall be provided with a handle to 
which the light and socket shall be firmly attached and through 
which the leading-in wires shall be carried. 

(3) Incandescent lamps. —Incandescent lamps shall be so 
placed that they can not come into contact with combustible 
material; and shall be so placed that an adequate circulation 
of air may take place on all sides of them. 

(4) Separate circuits for hoists. —PoAver for electric hoists 
that are used for lifting miners from the mine workings shall 
be supplied by separate feeders run from any convenient dis¬ 
tributing point so that the power and hoist lights can be kept 
on Avhen all other circuits in the mine are cut. 


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